Everyone’s talking about bus cuts at the WECA committee meeting

WESTACT attended today’s WECA Committee meeting to make a statement about the future of buses. All of the public statements (available here) were about either the immediate cuts to buses and their impacts on people, or what we need to do to save the future of buses.

Some particularly poignant stories:

One particularly sad story is that of a local resident who uses this service daily to visit her husband who is spending his final days in a care home. Another lady, who has special needs, has been asked by her employer to hand in her notice (after 30 years of loyal service) as she will be left with no means of travel to her workplace. Amongst these extremely sad stories are many stories of people who will no longer be able to visit shops, attend doctors appointments or meet with friends from nearby villages. There are also people who are left with no viable method of transport to their workplace during a cost of living crisis.

Damien Valentine – Passengers of the 178 Bus service

As I have used the D2 bus services for many years I have got to know a lot of the people who use the bus. I know many, many people who are facing prospects of losing their jobs, as their jobs are reliant on hospitality industries, leisure industries shift work or irregular hospital shift work. These people work in RUH, St Martins, Theatre Royal, Roman Baths, Bath University, retail, hospitality and for other companies. These people aren’t able to drive and reliant on the bus to get to work. And these people are more likely to earn the minimum wage.

I myself, due to a medical condition, will never be able to drive and the D2 is the only way I can hold down my job in Shepton Mallet (use the D2 and 174 First Bus to get to work). I work nights, so am completely ultimately dependant on the D2, and I must stress - I am not alone, many, many people's livelihoods are ultimately at stake with their employment. Some of these people have mouths to feed and must provide, and Frome has faced a difficult job market in recent years with many looking to larger places such as Bath for employment.

Jordan Curran - Frome resident

Thirteen women, aged from 32 to 55 years, live at Bradbury House in Draycott. These are women with disabilities, supported by staff who do their best to empower the residents to be as independent as possible. Some work in Wells, and travel to and from their place of work by bus; others catch the 126 to meet their families for weekends. Normal activities, made possible by a bus service. If staff provide transport, this both reduces the women's independence, and also raises the question of whether we in Somerset as a community are being responsible with resources when we know it is necessary to limit our use of fuel.

As a teacher, it was heart-warming to see pupils of the Blue School and Kings of Wessex at the meeting and to listen to their articulate explanations of how important the 126 service is to them. Some live without a responsible adult who can drive; others have parents/carers whose work makes it difficult to provide transport. The point was made forcibly that the 126 bus service enables the young people to also access a social life and facilities in Wells, without which they would be isolated in a village, for example, Rodney Stoke, with all the now clearly documented effects on their mental health and well-being.

Another important group are parents/carers with young children. Often a parent/carer, both a single parent/carer or one whose partner is working, are alone with a young child or children in a rural location. The 126 bus gives access to the leisure centre, exercise being vital in our war against obesity, to the cinema, to the cathedral, to the events in Wells, as well as to the shops and cafes. Moreover, a journey on a bus is an educational and social experience for the youngsters. This is particularly the case following the restrictions placed on families over the last two years with Covid 19 and the resulting lockdowns, with teachers concerned at the poor social skills young people are exhibiting.

Emails received by Cllr Denise Denis, Wells Bus User Group

The area of Stapleton, in my ward of Eastville, will lose all of its local bus connections as a result of First Bus’ decision to withdraw both bus services that go through the area, the Number 5 and Y4. There have now been several well-attended meetings on the issue during which I have spoken to numerous residents who have serious concerns about the impact of this. This includes a number of people who do not own a car, some of whom are disabled and cannot walk to what would be their closest bus stop which is quite some distance away. They face being completely cut off as a result. I have also spoken with people who up till now have relied on these services to travel to Brandon Trust’s Elm Tree Farm, which is a social enterprise for people with learning disabilities and autism, have said they would no longer be able to get there and access these crucial services.

Cllr Marley Bennett, Bristol City Council

Our own statement was looking to the future for the West of England’s buses:

To achieve net zero 2030 we need a rapid modal shift away from cars, in fact regional assessments indicate a 40% reduction in cars to 1990 levels. This requires an integrated, cheap, reliable public transport system. People need to be able to rely on public transport to be on time and not be cancelled. Buses or other mass transit need to connect with active travel modes, and get people to where they work and shop, and go out for leisure and education. This means integrated ticketing across all modes of public transport (trains, buses of all operators, trams, e-scooters and e-bikes); capped daily fares; cheaper than car parking; as well as aligned timetables - or pulse based timetabling so that interconnections are welltimed and smooth, transitioning from local feeder routes to fast routes. Information needs to be clearly accessible for all users, on smartphones and for those who are not digitally connected. Real-time updates should follow state of the art information as exists in Dublin and Edinburgh. This needs to be coordinated by our local authorities and operated as a public service to serve communities, and not only profitable routes. It is essential to make these changes and investments in the next 5 years, alongside changes that discourage car use, if we are to achieve net zero. As a green region we should be leading the way and not trailing behind other cities - with our retrograde, ailing public transport holding back jobs and education. As the regional governance body, the leadership for this visionary change needs to come from the West of England Combined Authority.