Have your say over the future of Frome buses

CONCERNS about ongoing issues with buses in Frome will be discussed at a public meeting, with organisers urging people to have their say. 

The meeting will take place  at the Assembly Rooms on Thursday 19th June at 6.00pm and it has been organised by bus campaigners cllr Derek Tanswell, Tracey Harding and Denise Bull, with a First Bus representative expected to attend.

The meeting will discuss every bus service in the town and how it can be improved, with an emphasis on the Frome 267 First Bus service as Tracey Harding and Denise Bull have been campaigning for the route to include Wessex Fields.

Campaigner Tracey Harding said, “First Bus have gone back on their word over reinstating the 267 link back to Sainsbury’s at the same time as Rode. The reinstatement back to Rode is still going ahead, but on a six-month trial of ‘use it or lose it’.

“First Bus have already cut two of their buses back to two hourly – the 161 and 184. They have also stopped the number 30 bus running at weekends; that service is now being run by another company.”

Cllr Derek Tanswell added, “The 267 will not go to Wessex Fields due to operating capacity and costs at the moment. However, this service will be restored at the end of August. This is your chance to attend and get your point of view across.

“The 267 is on trial for six months from the 15th June and will simply be on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis as this service is running at a loss and First Bus don’t have the resources to subsidise it. The bus service is a valuable community asset to Frome.”

Campaigners collected more than 400 signatures in a week when news broke that the service was to be cut earlier this year and after residents in Rode discovered the bus would not run through their village anymore. That decision was reversed, but Wessex Fields has still not returned to the route.

If you can help support the campaign, please contact Cllr Tanswell at Cllr.tanswell@ mendip.gov.uk  Also check out  dreamteam.mycouncillor. org.uk and www.facebook. com/derek.tanswell – tel: 07980 970060.