Metro Mayor Dan Norris has called a shake-up of bus services by First West of England, which will see ten routes axed from the firm’s timetables, “disheartening and disappointing”. The civic leader responded to news from the operator, announced on Tuesday (September 20), that there will be no reprieve for the 178 and other services – despite public opposition to the change.
Cancellation of the 178 service, which connects Bristol and Bath via minor roads through several settlements, will see villages including High Littleton, Farmborough, Timsbury and Marksbury cut out of the public transit network. The mum of one woman, who lost her job when the route was scrapped, called the 178 a “lifeline” for rural communities.
A replacement service, the 379, will instead connect the two cities via the A37 including Peasedown St John, Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Hallatrow, Wells Road and Knowle. First has blamed driver shortages and declining passenger numbers – despite photographic evidence that the route is still popular – for the shake-up of their timetable.
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Mr Norris said: “The decision by First to stop running a number of routes like the 178 is both disheartening and disappointing. The people in High Littleton, Farmborough and elsewhere are paying the price for not having a national policy in place that ensures bus driver numbers are sufficient.”
While other cancelled First routes have been taken on by other operators – including the 52 by Transpora and the 505, 506, 515 and 516 by The Big Lemon – Mr Norris denied rumours that a similar plan was being discussed for the 178, which will cease operation in early October.
He added: “Unfortunately, replacing the 178 with a like-for-like replacement is simply not possible as competition laws imposed by the government do not allow this. This is hugely frustrating and annoying.”
Mr Norris insisted that West of England Combined Authority (WECA) staff were “working round the clock” to find a “proper, fair solution” for affected passengers, including an “externally led bus network review” to help develop “better services for the future that local people so need and, even more importantly, deserve”.
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