Bath – Frome 267 evening buses saved, for now…

by adamboyden on 8 February, 2013

Following the cuts to the 267 evening bus service put through by Conservative Somerset County Council in 2011, the Lib Dem run Bath & North East Somerset Council have continued to subsidise the services between Frome and Bath.  This is good news for a large number of Frome residents. This service can be a lifeline for local people, and I’m glad that B&NES LibDems have chosen to support Frome, rather than cutting it.

Somerset County Council withdrew all subsidy for the 267 evening service in April 2011, leaving B&NES to support services that Somerset residents use.  B&NES launched a consultation on bus subsidies in November/December and talked about withdrawing subsidies for certain routes including the 267 evening services. I lobbied B&NES to help keep the service, as did county cllr Maggy Daniell (Lib Dem, Frome Selwood), Mendip District cllr Sam Phripp (Lib Dem, Berkley Down), town cllr Tricia Golinski (IFF), and Frome Town Council.

In B&NES’ Cabinet papers for 13th February, http://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3644&Ver=4 – (bus services are at agenda item 20), I am very pleased that there was no mention of the 267 evening service being cut.  The Lib Dem run council has found savings “…as a direct result of a successful tender round and contract negotiations with operators, without any impact on the level of service provided”, which is good news all round.

So the 267 evening service will continue for 2013/14.  I understand from B&NES’ Senior Public Transport Officer that the contract will be up for renewal from April 2014, and they might need to make savings next year. This may threaten some or all evening services if they are not sufficiently commercial.  But I am very grateful to B&NES Council for maintaining a service which is used mostly by residents of Frome and the villages to the north (Rode, Beckington, Norton St Philip) for another year.

We all may need to ask Somerset County Council to reverse its decision to cut its subsidy, to save the evening 267 buses in 2014, and I hope the county council administration will listen on this issue.

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