People across Bristol face frustration after West of England mayor Dan Norris revealed 18 bus services in the area set to be axed from October.
The long-feared announcement of which buses will be cut is expected officially next week following a major network review over the summer, but the metro mayor has now named the 11 commercial and seven subsidised routes which he says will be scrapped.
Mr Norris, who heads the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), which is in charge of the region’s strategic transport, says they “threw the kitchen sink at it but ultimately we need more bus drivers”.
READ MORE: Bristol Community Transport axes lifeline buses amid costs crisis
The commercial services proposed to be cut are: the No 5 Downend to Bristol, No 22 University of Bath to Twerton, No 41 Lawrence Hill to Bristol, No 42 Odd Down park and ride to Bath’s Royal United Hospital, No 72/72A Temple Meads to UWE Frenchay, No 171/172 Paulton to Bath, the X2 Bristol to Yatton, X5 (in part) Bristol to Weston via Portishead, Y3 Yate to Bristol, Y4 Yate to Bristol and the Y5 Chipping Sodbury to Bristol.
The subsidised, or “supported”, buses set for the chop or changes are the No 11 Bathampton to Bath, No 12 Haycombe Cemetery to Bath, No 20 University of Bath to Twerton, No 36 Bristol to Annes which will be extended to Brislington but with the loss of Wick Road, No 82 Paulton to Radstock (Tyning), No 96 Hengrove to Brislington and No 178 Radstock to Bristol. Mr Norris says there will be a new No 47 covering Yate, Bristol and Downend and a new 379 serving Paulton, Bath, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Bristol.
READ MORE: Bristol Community Transport axes lifeline buses amid costs crisis
Reaction to the news has been mixed. Badgerfriend posted: "Oh, for the good old days when all these different services did not exist.
"Buses were the main method of transport. Buses came on time, were clean and came on time."
Mattuk 56 asked: "Wonder what WECA is gonna do with the extended government bus support money then if they are not gonna use it to subsidise bus services?"
Webbo3 posted: "Perhaps someone can tell me but I assuming you need a different license to drive a city dart and a double decker, why not bring back city dart style buses meaning more drivers and some of the less used routes can still have a bus."
Ssophie Abellan posted: "Adds to the people that will now rely on cars! "Also, for those in Yatton, will they get a decreased train fare so they can still access Bristol?"
Shirerob posted: "Scrap the lot and drive."
The cuts, which are largely the result of a national bus driver shortage, come into force from October 9. A First Bus spokesperson said it could not confirm the services being cancelled yet because a statutory four-week consultation period on the proposals ends this week, followed by the submission of final timetables to the Traffic Commissioner by this weekend.
They said the operator would confirm all the changes by the end of next week (Friday, September 2).
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