The 26 subsidised bus services that would be axed if the Bristol region’s political leaders cannot strike a deal have been revealed. And even more could be at risk, depending on how transport bosses calculate which routes make the cut and which are axed.
Crisis talks last week between metro mayor Dan Norris and the leaders of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset councils collapsed without agreement over who should pay how much for “supported” buses, which rely on public money because they are loss-making but vital to serve isolated communities and places like hospitals. The urgent committee meeting of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), which Mr Norris leads, was called by the council heads in the hope of breaking an impasse which came about despite members agreeing in April that the transport levy, which councils are obliged to provide for supported services, should rise by up to 10 per cent.
The increase is needed because the cost of buses has rocketed by 43 per cent amid soaring prices for fuel and drivers. It is understood the Labour metro mayor offered £2million from Weca to extend the current bus contracts, which run out in August so need renewing imminently, for 12 months while a longer-term funding fix was found but that this was rejected because four of the more costly routes would have been scrapped anyway.
