Bus routes serving Thornbury and Yate are to be cut, Metro Mayor Dan Norris has announced. First Bus is cancelling some services across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, according to the Labour mayor, who blames the decision on the "Government's approach to bus funding".
He says the T2 and Y2 services are to be slashed as well as some services to Chew Valley. There is also a proposed route change to the 92 service, connecting Hengrove and Broadmead, which will no longer serve Whitchurch or the South Bristol Community Hospital from the end of April.
First Bus has been approached to comment on the cuts and changes to services, which are yet to be made clear on its website. It comes after the bus operator made major changes to its routes in January, which saw them altered to suit demand.
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Mr Norris says a 'cash injection' by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has saved services like the 178 from Radstock to Bristol, the Y5 from Chipping Sodbury to Bristol, and the 5 from Downend to Broadmead.
He says the Government's decision to provide £150million to local transport services after the pandemic has saved some buses, but has been "too little too late" for others. “I will always step in to save vital buses where I can," he said, "but there isn’t an unlimited pot of money. I am pleased to be supporting the 178, Y5 and 5 but I wish I could have done more. These are all important services.
"I and MPs cross-party warned again and again that the Government’s policy on emergency Covid-19 funding for buses was not fit for purpose. This was not scaremongering. As is now crystal clear, the Government's final U-turn has come too late for some bus routes."
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The financial support for bus routes will come to an end in October 2022. The Government says it represents the "final tranche" of pandemic-related help they can provide.
"There is also another cliff edge coming as the Government has said this is the last time they will support bus services in this way," Mr Norris continued. "From October it will be simply down to us.”
He says that the message now is that passengers will need to use or lose buses. “The stark truth is that First bus and Stagecoach are commercial companies and if fare income remains at 3/4 we are going to only have 3/4 of the buses we have come to rely on.
“The last thing we need is fewer buses. It’s vital that we get more people travelling by public transport if we are to meet our ambitious 2030 net zero targets locally. The Government’s approach to bus funding is causing cuts so putting our highly ambitious local target to help save the planet in jeopardy.”
When the Government announced an extension bus funding, transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The funding I’ve announced will ensure millions of us can continue to use vital public transport services, and brings the total we’ve provided to the sector to keep services running throughout the pandemic to over £2 billion.
“Not only that, as we look ahead and continue our work to overhaul services and build back better from the pandemic, this funding will also help authorities and operators work together to provide even better services for people right across the country.”
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