00:00We're standing here outside of the University of Wolverhampton where we've been talking
00:05to students about the axe and at the end of the month of the free shuttle services between
00:09campuses.
00:10Yeah, we spoke to a few students today, some who travel in, some who don't, and they all
00:17think that it's just one of the services that should remain, should remain free and remain
00:21free for the students.
00:23It's obviously, they're saying that it's going to be, it's obviously going to be a huge bit
00:27of budgeting that they're also going to think about, that it's just another thing to add
00:31to the cost of living crisis that's already hitting their pockets quite deeply.
00:35They have called on trying to keep the services and maybe taking the money from somewhere
00:39else, even funding some services themselves so that they can keep the bus service, but
00:45it's meant to run out at the end of the month, but we'll see what happens if they open discussions
00:49up with students.
00:51So here outside the University of Wolverhampton we have Boudin, who's a university student
00:55here.
00:56What do you study at the moment?
00:58Biomedical Science.
00:59Biomedical?
01:00Masters.
01:01It's a real course that isn't it?
01:02Yeah.
01:03So you said that, you did say just that you don't currently use the bus service, but you
01:05have used the shuttle service before.
01:07Obviously, what's your opinion on the action of the shuttle service?
01:10Actually the thing is, the bus is really useful for the students because I'm not using the
01:18bus because I'm studying in the city campus, but my friends, a lot of my friends who are
01:24studying in Telford and Walsall campuses, they are using the bus because they are staying
01:29in here and they have to go for the lectures in these campuses, so I find it quite useful,
01:37the bus service is, but these days it's not in the service, it's not in the service, but
01:46the thing is, my opinion is that service is really important for the students, really
01:55useful for the students, for the studies and it's easy because catching the normal transport
02:01system is quite a little bit difficult, but this bus system is really easy, so time for
02:12the, to present in the lecture at time, so I find this service is quite useful.
02:25Absolutely, and they're saying that the alternative is to catch the 529 into Walsall or the bus
02:31that travels into Telford, but obviously that's going to be an added cost onto students that
02:35are already student.
02:36Yeah, and this bus service was free for the students, so by the financial side it's also
02:45cost effective for the students especially, but now they have to catch the bus to Walsall
02:54or Telford and it's like, for Telford I think for that bus it takes like one hour, more
03:02than one hour to reach the campus, I think, yeah, but this bus, university bus service
03:07it's like 30-40 minutes you can go to Telford, so I really appreciate if they can again restore
03:19the service.
03:20Hopefully keep it.
03:21Yeah, hopefully, hopefully, yes.
03:22Well, this is fantastic, thank you very much, that's perfect, fantastic.
03:25So here we have Alicia, who's a sociology student, so yeah, just as far as money goes,
03:32it's obviously going to be a huge expense for the students, it's just another expense
03:40to pay for at the end of the day, isn't it?
03:42Yeah, what's your take on it?
03:43I think it would be quite stressful because I feel like if the buses were originally free
03:48and then people are then, like they're changing it, then that's like another expense, like
03:53you only get a certain amount each year, so then you're having to like put that expense
03:58like when you didn't already have it, I think it would be quite stressful, and then also
04:01like as a student you can go to uni and then back home like quite a few times, so I feel
04:07like if you're having to buy a bus like three times a day, that can add up so quickly, then
04:12you have less money for like other stuff, I just think it's quite stressful, especially
04:15because like you didn't have to pay for it and then you did, I think, it's a bit annoying.
04:19It's an extra bit of budgeting that you just have to focus into.
04:21Definitely.
04:22I mean, how much a student passes for the buses these days, they're hundreds, aren't
04:27they?
04:28I know, I can't believe, and it's like for what, it's like a five-minute journey or something,
04:31it's like no!
04:32And especially if you're on these courses where you've got to travel between Wolverhampton
04:36to Walsall or Wolverhampton to Telford, that's going to rack up a bit of costs.
04:41So is it something that you think they realistically could do with keeping for students?
04:45Definitely, yeah, because it's like, it's students after all, I feel like there's so
04:49much talk around like, oh keeping stuff cheap for students, so I think it's kind of ironic
04:53to then take away such an essential thing, like it's an everyday expense, it's not like,
04:59you know, an activity, like a luxury activity, it's like buses, like, I think you already
05:04have like your budget and then I think it's just, yeah, I imagine it would be like disappointing,
05:09stressful, like, yeah, I just don't think it's fair.
05:12I mean, I found it a bit surprising that they said they were going to take away this service
05:15to try and put the money into all of our student services, which is a bit, I feel like this
05:21service is quite important to students, you know.
05:24Definitely, yeah, and I feel like if they are then, I feel like because it's for students'
05:28money, if they're doing it for so-called students, then I feel like that should be a discussion
05:32with them and with the students.
05:34They can't say like, oh we're doing this for you, like, have you asked the students, because
05:37I feel like a lot of students would be upset by this, like, if it's going to be for the
05:41students, I feel like students should have an input on like where their money is going.
05:45Absolutely, fantastic, thank you very much for talking to us, that's brilliant.
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