Rural communities being abandoned

I’m writing about the upcoming bus cuts to be implemented by First Bus. Specifically the 178 between Radstock and Bristol, which I am campaigning to save.

It’s an hourly bus service running from the morning, throughout the

day until early evening and on Saturdays. It’s an absolutely vital service for the residents of High Littleton, Timsbury, Farmborough and Marksbury, as many people here use it to get to work or school. Timsbury has a doctors’ surgery that serves neighbouring villages and for many the 178 bus is the only way they can get to it. We have no banks or post offices, having to travel to Midsomer Norton or Keynsham for these and other essential services.

In my campaigning efforts, I’ve already heard so many stories about how losing this bus is going to be devastating to them and their families. We’re facing a cost-of-living crisis which is only going to get worse as the year progresses, people who need this bus to get to work are going to lose their jobs, something that’s already started to happen, with one lady telling me that her daughter who has worked in Bristol for 30 years has been told to hand in her notice because of the bus cuts. Someone else told me she needs her job, she can’t afford to learn to drive nor buy a car when she’s already going to be struggling to pay her bills and keep herself and her toddler fed this winter.

As a regular user of the 178 myself, even at quiet times of the day, it’s a fairly busy bus. When I see it go by, there are always people on it. One driver I spoke to said it was ridiculous to cut the route because he sees so many people using it.

My understanding is First Bus are going to put on a new bus service, the 379, which will run between Bristol and Bath via Midsomer Norton, however it will avoid the rural communities in favour of the A37 because it’s a slightly shorter route. That may be true and I do sympathise with the driver shortage

the company is dealing with. However the A37 is already served by half hourly buses. Rural communities (and these are not small communities) are once again being abandoned during some of the toughest living conditions we’ve faced for decades. We need access to our nearby towns and cities, cutting it off is going to ruin lives and families.

I am organising a letter-writing campaign, encouraging residents of these communities to speak up by writing to the Mayor Dan Norris, along with First Bus, local councillors and anyone else who will listen. There are even people from those towns writing in because they come to our villages as well to visit friends and family.

It might not be the most profitable route, but this bus is absolutely essential and should not be cut to give a well-served road even more buses when we will be left with nothing. Vague promises of sorting it out in six months or a year or two will mean nothing to the people who need it now. These are bad cuts at an even worse time. Damien Valentine

Bus Campaigner