PEWSEY Vale's innovative Wigglybus will have to look to its laurels if it is to become the public transport of the future, a report published last week insists.

The present set-up is too expensive and not attractive enough to draw motorists away from their cars, the report, Joining in Public Transport, published by the South West Sustainable Transport Round Table (SWTAR), maintains.

The report's overall conclusion is that, while the Wiltshire Wigglybus has brought a well above average standard of public transport to rural communities that previously had little or no public transport of any description, it has not yet achieved levels of use that would guarantee the security of the service in the longer term.

It points to major problems with software that have caused disruption and additional costs and a call centre in Gloucester where operators have no local knowledge and are seen as being unfriendly and remote.

There is a recurring complaint both from passengers and other road users that the buses are driven too fast along the narrow country lanes in the area. A further concern is the regular use of mobile phones by drivers while driving, often out of necessity because of technical problems.

On the other hand, because of the demand-responsive nature of the service, any journey can take many times longer than one by car because of the necessity of the buses to 'wiggle' to pick up passengers on the way. It is noted: "It is possible to live within one mile of Devizes or Pewsey and have a 50-minute outward or return journey, which is not ideal."

The report says: "On the one hand is the imperative to fill the bus to improve cost effectiveness, but in the very act of doing so the quality of service declines."

The cost per passenger journey is also a cause for concern. Funding for the next three years has been reduced so cuts to the service may be necessary.

The Wigglybus management committee is currently canvassing its members on cutting some lunchtime and early morning rounds on weekdays and some runs into Devizes on Saturdays.

However, they also want to restore the lunchtime rounds to Pewsey from the east and west and start a new Friday evening service so that the evenings are covered from Wednesday to Saturday each week.

The next Wigglybus public meeting is due to take place at Bouverie Hall, Pewsey, on Tuesday April 16 at 7.30pm.