A new bus will serve north-east Somerset from April, where villages have faced being ‘cut off’.
The new 522 bus will run hourly between Odd Down Park and Ride on the outskirts of Bath and Brislington Park and Ride on the outskirts of Bristol, via Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham.
Crucially, it will also serve several villages in north-east Somerset that have faced a cut, with buses across the district due to be phased out in April and June this year.
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42 publicly supported bus services are being cut across the west of England this year after the three councils that make up the combined authority (Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire) voted not to increase the combined authority. transportation financing, despite inflation in the cost of running buses.
Of the 42 buses that will stop running, 19 are in North East Somerset.
Timsbury’s mum, Katie Traw, said: “We are being cut off from everything – groups of babies and toddlers, the nearest towns, friends and family. For those of us who can’t drive and have young children, it means losing the ability socializes with other moms and little ones in groups that take place outside of town.
But now the town, along with Peasedown St John, Paulton, Hallatrow, High Littleton, Farmborough, Marksbury and Burnett will have an hourly 522 service.
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The new bus route is one of five that Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Kevin Guy had written to West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris asking him to provide a “vital spinal route”.
Writing again to the Metro Mayor, Mr. Guy said, “It is good to see proposals from you that reflect this. However, we have yet to hear from the Mayor about his plans to support backbone routes in other areas within Bath and North East Somerset, particularly to serve the Chew Valley. ”
The council leader says the routes are necessary to support the mayor’s plans to launch a new demand-driven transport (DRT) scheme in north-east Somerset, but Mr Norris has insisted that DRT is not intended to replace supported buses and that councils should continue to fund their buses.
Bath and North East Somerset council found additional money to keep all compatible bus services in Bath, where DRT is not being introduced, while cutting most North East Somerset buses in April, except for five routes that continue until June which, according to the council, will ease the transition. to DRT.
Sarah Warren, cabinet member of the council for sustainable travel, insisted: “All we’ve done is try to put together the best possible coverage of a network that we could.”
DRT will start rolling out in the West of England from April and will allow people to book a minivan to catch the nearest bus stop.
Although not designed as a replacement for regular buses, it will be the only public transport option for many parts of north-east Somerset after April unless more services are implemented by council or Metro Mayor.
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