Threat of cuts puts focus on protecting city’s buses

Local councillors and the Metro Mayor are keeping the focus squarely on Bath’s bus services as news emerges of likely cuts to public expenditure by central government.

The new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt entered office at the weekend, warning that public spending could be further hit, with fears that cuts could affect Bath’s depleted bus services if schools and hospitals are protected.

This summer, Dan Norris’ team at West of England Combined Authority put effort into recruiting and training new drivers and subsidising threatened services.

However, speaking at last Thursday’s council meeting, local Liberal Democrats aimed some of their fire at the mayor of the West of England Combined Authority, accusing him of “political stunts and photo ops” while criticising the government for poaching bus drivers, and for its failure to properly fund public transport services.

Councillors called on the mayor to reinstate bus routes and to work on bus franchising, to achieve democratic control over public transport, as well as stop-gap solutions such as demand-responsive minibuses.

B&NES Cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel, Cllr Sarah Warren, said: “Our bus industry is broken almost beyond repair, and this government, which is dismantling the fabric of society with accelerating speed, is asleep at the wheel.

“We will continue to fight for better bus services for B&NES residents.

The Metro Mayor Dan Norris (pictured) replied: “For once the biggest problem stopping us from improving the buses at the moment is the lack of drivers.

“We need 200 more drivers in the region. That’s why I am investing in new initiatives to tackle the serious bus driver shortage. If you know someone who wants to switch careers, please encourage them to drive a bus. It’s not just a job, it’s a vocation.”