I FULLY endorse the letter written by Sue Dubois headed 'Nightmare Journeys' relating to the Number 23 bus service run by Stagecoach.

The service provided on the Coleford-Lydney-Gloucester route is nothing short of disgraceful with passengers not knowing if the buses will arrive on time or even reach their destination.

A recent experience related to a journey from Gloucester to Lydney on the Number 23 during the recent hot 'Indian Summer' spell when a passenger asked the driver to turn the heating off. This was done but the bus stopped just outside Westbury-on-Severn because it was overheating. The driver waited a while and then gave the passengers the choice of either continuing the journey with the heating back on (phew!) or staying put to wait for a replacement.

The majority opted to resume travel with the heating back on whilst putting up with the overpowering heat along with the constant ringing of the bus's overheating bell system.

Why is the level of service so poor on this particular route? One can imagine a situation whereby the management all sit round a table and decide what to do with buses past their best.

"Send them to the scrapyard" is a suggestion made. "No" say the majority "put them on the No 23 route."

This is the feeling created by Stagecoach through their very poor provision of service on this route notwithstanding the so called provision of 'refurbished buses' from locations somewhere up north.

Tell you what, what a good idea it would be for the Number 23 buses to run on the 94, Gloucester to Cheltenham route, and the 94 buses run on the 23 route.

Why not give it a try Stagecoach, and see what the reaction would be.

– R.N. James, Lydney.