Bus passengers in the West of England face extra service cuts from April, as the region's political leaders voted to stop subsidising 42 routes. The combined authority said high inflation meant cuts were inevitable, as the transport levy paid by councils increased by less than inflation, meaning a real terms cut.
Papers to the combined authority meeting gave a long list of services which could potentially be subsidised, and a shorter list of routes which will continue to receive subsidies. However, the long list also included services which already don’t exist at the moment, let alone after April.
The West of England initially sent out a press release after the meeting saying 27 buses would be axed — before later clarifying that 27 would be saved, and 42 would be axed. A list was then sent out of potential services facing withdrawal, which was "not double-checked for accuracy" and only included 36 services. A confirmed list was then sent out the following day.
Read more: Another 42 bus services in Bristol region could be axed
According to this list, which may not be entirely accurate, subsidised services facing withdrawal from April include:
- 506 Bristol city centre to Southmead Hospital
- 179 Bath to Midsomer Norton (This service will run until June)
- 672 Bristol to Blagdon (This service will run until June)
- 185 Paulton to Trowbridge
- 636 Whitchurch to Keynsham
- 640 Bishop Sutton to Keynsham
- 668 Peasedown St John to Bristol city centre
- 683 Keynsham to Wells
- 757 Combe Hay to Midsomer Norton
- 172 Bath to Paulton (This service will run until June)
- 178 Midsomer Norton to Brislington Park and Ride
- 752 Hinton Blewett to Bath city centre
- 754 Hinton Blewett to Radstock
- 768 Bath bus station to Radstock and Midsomer Norton (This service will run until June)
- 52 Hengrove Park to Bristol city centre
- 516 Knowle to Hengrove Park
- 622 Chipping Sodbury to Cribbs Causeway
- 626 Wotton-under-Edge to Bristol city centre
- 511 Bedminster to Hengrove
- 512 Totterdown to Bristol city centre
- 513/514 Knowle to Brislington
- 17 Southmead Hospital to Kingswood
- 82 Radstock to Paulton (This service will run until June)
- 84/85 Yate to Wotton-under-Edge
- 623 Hollywood Lane to Cribbs Causeway
- 634 Tomarton to Kingswood
- 663 Somerdale to Chandag Road
- 664 Keynsham to Saltford
- 665 Somerdale to Longmeadow Road
- 684 Wick to Keynsham
- 22 Twerton to Bath Uni (This service is only being withdrawn during the school holidays)
- 202 Chipping Sodbury to Winterbourne
- 963 Patchway to Bradley Stoke and Winterbourne (This service will run until the end of the school year)
- 948 Pucklechurch to Mangotsfield and Sir Bernard Lovell School (This service will run until the end of the school year)
- 967 Westerleigh to Chipping Sodbury School and Brimsham Green School (This service will run until the end of the school year)
- 680 North Yate to Chipping Sodbury and SGS College Filton (This service will run until the end of the school year)
If you are affected by these proposals we would like to hear from you - email bristolpostnews@localworld.co.uk.
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