THE future of the popular D2 Frome to Bath bus service has been secured following Somerset County Council’s announcement that they will provide funding for a replacement service.
Bus Users Group, and county councillor Sarah Dyke.
First West of England announced in the summer that it was discontinuing the evening services on Monday to Friday on the D2 between Bath and Frome from this month as part of a package of changes prompted by low use.
The council has confirmed that from Monday 10th October it is funding evening weekday D2 journeys at 8.10pm and 10.10pm from Frome to Bath, and 9.10pm and 11.10pm from Bath to Frome. First West of England is continuing to provide daytime, Saturday evening and Sunday journeys on the D2.
The D2 service is a lifeline for local communities as it provides a vital evening service for those studying or working unsocial hours in Bath, as well as serving multiple villages along the route.
The change comes following a lobbying campaign by the Frome and Villages Bus Users Group (FAVBUG) as well as a petition organised by cllr Sarah Dyke, the Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Somerton & Frome.
A post on FAVBUG’s Facebook page reads, “We would like to thank First Bus for agreeing to run the evening and Sunday services despite the bus driver shortage faced across the wider area.
“And also, a thank you to the bus drivers who will be driving these buses, especially the late-night buses, many jobs depend on these services. Plus, these services are used by students back from Bath Unis / College (often attending evening classes) and for people out for the night.”
Commenting on the announcement, cllr Sarah Dyke said, “I am delighted that the county council are stepping in to protect this vital bus route. This is a lifeline for our community, and I couldn’t be more proud that the Liberal Democrat administration at County Hall have listened to the strong voice of local people. Since launching my petition, I have heard numerous stories from local people who rely on this service to go about their day-to-day lives and this announcement will ensure they can continue to do so.
“As the cost-of-living crisis continues to worsen, coupled with the climate emergency, local bus services are more important than ever and I couldn’t be more pleased with the announcement this week. I would like to thank the hundreds of people who signed my petition and got involved in the campaign. Our community showed a strong voice and it’s clear that the county council are truly living up to their pledge of being a listening council.”
Somerset County Council’s lead member for transport and digital cllr Mike Rigby said, “We’re delighted we’ve been able to step in and keep these lifeline services running. We know how important they are to local people and since the announcement that they were going to be withdrawn, our team has been working really hard to find a solution to keep some of the routes running.
“We’ll continue to do all we can, but we can’t stress enough that people need to support their services to ensure they are maintained. In March, Government funding runs out again and many of these services will be under threat – we’re working hard to ensure they continue but we need people to use them.”
Somerset County Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership have launched a campaign to get more people onto buses – read more about how you could save money here http://www.somerset.gov.uk/busit
