‘Risk of isolation’ as South Gloucestershire bus routes scrapped

Bristol Live readers are dismayed to hear that two bus routes will cease operations from September 1. The services, led by The Big Lemon, were temporarily funded in June 2023, but a lack of long-term solutions means they will be discontinued. Readers discussed the changes and what they mean for them in our comments section.

Buses 84 and 85, which linked Yate to Wotton-Under-Edge via Chipping Sodbury, will be replaced by a two-hourly service provided by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA). South Gloucestershire Council has recognized the importance of these services to rural communities and is working with WECA to find a sustainable solution. Meanwhile, a new WESTlocal bus service for Cotswold Edge will start on September 1.

Comment J00e says: “SG and local councils should stop pushing an anti-car agenda until the public transport service is up and running and solidified. Otherwise, they are in danger of isolating the villages. People are expected not to travel on Sundays then if the new bus service only runs from Monday to Saturday. Is this a sign of things to come? Do people in power control when you can travel?”

GasLee says: “It always annoys me that people like First Bus make millions in profits and pick and choose the best routes and make money, as a business you have to make it smooth and at the end of the day I’m in the service industry … if they want route 48 or 49, they should come up with a no-money route, take it or leave it.”

Thetheboss replies: “What a great idea, a charity bus service. Meanwhile, it is worth understanding that a business is an organization that provides goods and services to the community in exchange for money, with the aim of becoming profitable. Profit is the financial benefit when the income generated from a business activity exceeds the expenses, costs and taxes involved in supporting the activity. FACT.”

Junius1 believes: “Bus franchising is the only answer, however difficult it may be to find more operators to bid for franchises. There will always be WestLocal and WestLink too, which simply cannot catch up with what is being lost. Whenever I see a WestLink minibus it is invariably empty or with a passenger.”

Darrow writes: “Perhaps if the bus companies really offered a frequent, reliable and affordable service, they would find more people using them. How about a public consultation asking them which routes they want? It’s a mystery to me why a highly populated built-up area like Emersons Green doesn’t have a direct bus to Cribbs.”

Will canceled bus routes affect you? What do you think the answer is? Tell us what you think in our comments section.