By: John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Two “revolutionary” bus services are now running in a corner of North East Somerset until recently cut off from all public transport — and you can ride them for free for the next two weeks.
A new service launched on Sunday September 1 runs in a figure of eight around the Chew Valley’s villages, connecting them to the Midsomer Norton Tesco and other buses to Bath and Bristol. Meanwhile the valley’s once-a-day commuter shuttle to Bristol is now running three times a day, stopping at more villages at Bristol’s Parson Street station.
The new routes are among the latest to be funded through the West of England Combined Authority’s WESTlocal scheme, which allows local groups to set up their own bus services. Eight new WESTlocal routes were launched at the weekend. Dan Norris, who heads the combined authority as Metro Mayor as well as being the area’s local MP, said he was “delighted” with the new routes, which will be free to ride until September 15.
Local public transport campaigner Jackie Head, a member of the local sustainable travel group, said: “These two routes are revolutionary. We have never had this kind of service in the Chew Valley before.”
Only last year, the valley was left without any timetabled public transport after all buses serving the area were axed in a wave of bus cuts that hit most of rural North East Somerset. In April, the WESTlocal X91 Chew Valley Sprint was set up under the scheme, running once a day between Bishop Sutton, Chew Stoke, Chew Manga and Bristol and back.
Now the bus has been expanded to cover more villages and run three times a day in each direction. The bus now starts in Ubley and also runs through Compron Martin, West Harptree, and East Harptree. In Bristol it will also stop at Parson Street station from which passengers can catch trains to Weston-super-Mare.
Meanwhile the WESTlocal 99 Chew Valley Cat launched on Sunday to connect villages in the Chew Valley with each other and the A37, where passengers can connect to buses heading to Bath and Bristol. It will run as far as Paulton and the big Tesco on the edge of Midsomer Norton.
Ms Head said: “It has been a really long journey to get to this point but we are absolutely standing on the edge of transformation in the area and we can change the way people travel with these new routes.”
As part of the WESTlocal scheme, the buses are being run by bus company the Big Lemon and the Chew Valley Community Interest Company Sustainable Transport Partnership. WESTlocal was set up by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, in partnership with North Somerset Council, and funded by the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The funding for the buses will run until at least March 2026 — but the future of the services beyond then is less certain. Ms Head said: “The best chance of survival is if they are being really well used.”
Mr Norris: “Giving people free travel for the first two weeks will get passengers off to a great start. My hope is it will inspire people to support their WESTlocal in the longer term.”
Nearby Keynsham is also benefiting from new buses under the WESTlocal scheme with a new K1 bus service running between south Keynsham and Somerdal,e and a new 532 service running to Yate with midday and afternoon return services to Emersons Green.
Other new WESTlocal routes which launched on Sunday and Monday across the wider West of England include the Y8 Hawkesbury Upton – Charfield, 40 Avonmouth – Brentry, 534 Filton – Fishponds (via Emersons Green & Longwell Green), 61 St Anne’s – Canon’s Marsh, and P1 Bristol – Felton.
The 2V bus between Radstock and Odd Down Park and Ride via Paulton — which opened in April designed to serve people who relied on the axed 82 bus — was also funded by the WESTlocal scheme.
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