Bus firm First Thamesway needs to put its foot on the accelerator and deliver faster improvement to services in Brentwood.

That was the message this week from Brentwood Bus Task Force chairman, borough councillor David Kendall.

Cllr Kendall said the bus task force had held a borough-wide survey to establish the needs of local commuters and bus travellers, as well as a public meeting at which local residents could address their concerns.

He said the response from the bus company so far had been negligible.

However, First Thamesway vigorously defended its current performance, saying staffing levels were up, complaints were down and services seemed to be running smoothly.

Cllr Kendall said: "Many Brentwood bus users are quite rightly getting frustrated with First Thamesway and who can blame them? Despite regular assurances from their management that services are going to improve there has been very little evidence of it actually happening on the ground.

He added: "If they are seriously committed towards improving the bus services in Brentwood then they need to start showing it to their long-suffering customers who are fed up with warm words and empty promises."

Operations manager at First Thamesway, Steve Smith, said services had improved.

He said: "Our staffing levels are up and our services are running very much to timetable, and I have to say that the number of complaints is down."

Mr Smith said the company was still in negotiations to provide a link to Harold Wood Hospital, by diverting the 751 service, but it needed financial assistance, in the form of public money, for a service which would otherwise not be viable for a private company.

First Thamesway was always willing to look into any specific complaints made about its service, he added.

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