I read with interest your article regarding the ‘new’ 25 bus that Diamond Bus company have introduced between Kidderminster and Stourbridge operating every hour.

What the article failed to mention is that this route is not ‘new’ at all. It is blatant piracy.

The 25 bus runs along the exact same route as the 125 bus service that is operated by Central Bus who rescued and built the service up when Whittle bus company closed down at the end of 2014. The new Diamond times are between 5 and 10 minutes before the hourly 125 bus, meaning that two buses arrive on the same route within a few minutes of each other and then there is a huge gap in service of 50/55 minutes.

Instead of starting an unnecessary bus service then they could add extra buses onto unreliable services, such as the 2L to Ludlow which often runs over an hour late, or reinstate the vital bus link they withdrew back in April from Stourport to Kidderminster Hospital.

Even then if Diamond Bus still really think another bus between Stourbridge and Kidderminster is necessary then why could they have not run on the opposite half hour to the 125, resulting in a 30-minute frequency between these towns and improving the service to the general public?

Answers on a postcard.

Ken Redgrove Kidderminster