THOUSANDS of people have signed petitions calling on authorities to save a ‘vital’ bus route that connects Wells and Weston-super-Mare.
Seperate petitions to save First West of England's 126 bus service have been launched by James Heappey MP and the Wells Liberal Democrats.
Mr Heappey published his petition on Friday, August 5 to try and convince Somerset County Council and North Somerset Council to “step in and save the 126”.
He told his Facebook followers yesterday (Tuesday, August 9) that his petition has been signed over 1,300 times.
The Wells Liberal Democrats' petition, ‘Save the 126’, addresses the bus operator directly and has been signed over 2,100 times.
First West of England have said no decisions have been made on the route’s future.
The provider is engaged in a month-long consultation with local authorities before changes to its network are announced at the start of September.
When he launched his petition, Mr Heappey said: “The 126 is a vital lifeline to many of the most vulnerable people in communities along the Cheddar Valley.
“It links communities to doctors’ surgeries in Wells, Cheddar and Axbridge; the hospital in Weston; schools and colleges along the route; as well as shopping and socialising.
“First Bus claim the route is no longer profitable, but I’ll be pushing them hard on their numbers. Just last week, they were threatening to cut the 173 instead of the 126 so I’m not sure they’re being particularly consistent, and I’m determined to get answers.
“But Somerset and North Somerset Councils do subsidise bus routes in many parts of the county and so if First Bus won’t budge, I need your support to force the councils to step in and save the 126.”
When his petition passed 1,300 signatories, he said: “The number of signatures we have secured in a short space of time illustrates the strength of feeling about this service.
“I will be continuing to press for a commitment to ensuring this bus route remains.”
The Wells Liberal Democrats' petition describes the 126 as “a vital service” that is the “main or only bus” available to some communities.
The party said: “The 126 is the only available way of getting to school, doctors, dentists, hospitals, shopping, work and leisure.
“Scrapping the 126 would be seriously damaging for these communities leaving many of their residents completely cut off.”
First West of England must review its network and the viability of its routes under its government funding agreement.
A spokesperson for the bus operator said: “As a condition of transitional funding arrangements, all bus operators must undertake full network reviews to assess the viability of all routes once funding ends in the autumn.
“This is currently taking place in the West of England, but we must stress no decisions have been made and it would be inappropriate to comment on speculation at this stage.
“Like all other bus operators in the UK, we must adapt our networks to match the post-pandemic demand for services.
“The majority of our networks will be retained, and we will work to match our resources with demand for services in order to provide our customers with the most reliable network.
“We are committed to constructive partnerships and have been working with local authorities to provide as much notice as possible of any changes to allow them to support alternative arrangements.”
Somerset County Council and North Somerset Council are involved in the consultation with First West of England about its routes.
A Somerset County Council spokesperson said: “Where possible, we will be supporting services and ensuring vital links are maintained but, in the first instance, we will be working with the operator to try and preserve the 126 service which is a vital transport link for local people.
“As things stand, the whole of the Government’s Bus Recovery Grant is being cut and the loss of this funding is what is causing bus operators to reassess what they can viably provide.
“We recognise that passenger levels play a part in maintaining routes.
“We do need more people to return to using buses regularly and over the next few months, the council is running a campaign to encourage bus use throughout the county as part of our endeavours to safeguard routes.”
Councillor Steve Hogg, North Somerset Council’s executive member with responsibility for transport and highways, said: “Buses play a vital role serving the communities of North Somerset. They help residents go to work, shop, and access vital services such as schools, colleges, and health services. They're also key to our response to the climate emergency.
“Commercial bus companies operate the vast majority of bus routes in North Somerset and decide where and how often these run. We recognise the challenges they face – there is a shortage of drivers and usage hasn’t yet returned to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We haven’t yet received the funding to deliver our Bus Service Improvement Plan and unfortunately the Government will not allow us to use this funding to replace routes like-for-like.
“Without additional government funding, we can’t afford to replace current routes. We are committed to lobbying government and working with partners, communities, and bus operators to explore every avenue to maintain vital services wherever possible.
“The Government needs to act now. Financial support to bus companies must continue until passenger numbers are closer to pre-pandemic levels. Across North Somerset, we’ve seen around 75 per cent of passengers return to services, underlining just how critical these buses are to our communities.”
Read more: Vital bus route saved after hundreds sign petition
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