A section of a 'vital' bus route serving south Bristol has been saved, two weeks after First Bus announced it would be axed in major cuts to its services. On March 16 the bus operator said the 92 bus will no longer serve Whitchurch and the South Bristol Community Hospital in light of driver shortages and low passenger numbers, which prompted a backlash from locals.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris has now confirmed the stretch of journey due to be cut will be picked up by a different bus operator, CT Plus, from April 24 to August 27, before a "longer-term solution" is reached. This will be a half-hourly service which will operate between Hengrove Park and Broad Walk shops.
Locals had warned that cutting off parts of south Bristol from the bus route would be a "disaster". Hengrove and Whitchurch Park Cllr Tim Kent told Bristol Live at the time: "It will leave hundreds of people having to walk well over 1km to get a bus and will be a disaster. This area has one of the highest populations of retired people in the city - too many of them totally reliant on this service."
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Following reaction to the cuts and a petition set up by locals to save the route, Mr Norris, who heads transport in the West of England, said he will "always step in to try and save under-threat buses" where he can, but blames a lack of government funds for not being able to do more.
The 92 bus is one of a raft of bus services being totally cut or re-routed at the end of April. First Bus also confirmed the Y2 and T2 buses, which serve Chipping Sodbury and Thornbury from Bristol, will be axed, and the 75 and 76 significantly reduced.
Mr Norris said in a statement: “As I said when the cuts were first announced, [the 92] route was of particular concern to me. I’m pleased to support a service that’s so important for people living in Whitchurch and its surrounding areas especially to access the hospital. I will always step in to try and save under-threat buses where I can, but sadly there is no unlimited pot of money.
“There are other routes that are being axed or reduced that matter very much to their communities too. I resent being powerless to act because the Government has denied me the necessary funds to keep existing services going, never mind provide more routes.
“If we are to meet the climate emergency, buses have to become more important, not be cut back. The Government is too short term in its approach which is exactly the opposite of what is needed if we are to build the quality public transport system the people across the West of England not only need, but deserve. While today we have a success story we do need more people to use buses or we risk losing more of them and for the Government to provide more comprehensive support”.
Local councillors have reacted to the news, saying the new service will "go some way" to restoring connectivity between Bristol city centre and parts of south Bristol. Hengrove and Whitchurch Park Cllr Andrew Brown said: “As local councillors, we were disappointed that First chose to cut the 92 service, leaving residents to the south of Whitchurch Lane without a bus service to Hengrove Hospital, and a longer walk if they wanted to get the bus into the city. We were also concerned about the potential impact on residents at Imperial Apartments.
“Looking at the broader picture, residents along the route, both in the ward and in areas such as Knowle and Totterdown, lost access to a public transport link not just to the hospital but to the City of Bristol College, and the Hengrove Leisure Centre. Users of the hospital and college, in particular, are more likely to rely on public transport than the general populace, so service changes can have a disproportionate impact on them.
“The new half-hourly service will go some way to restoring the connectivity with both the centre and the significant public amenities at Hengrove."
Have bus services been cut in your area? We want to know how you will be affected. Get in touch by emailing beth.cruse@reachplc.com
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