Protesters march 9 miles to save bus service facing the axe

Passengers walked the 84/85 route between Wotton to Yate as part of a protest to keep the “vital” service running.

The bus service - which includes stops at Yate Shopping Centre, Katharine Lady Berkeley's, and Chipping Sodbury School - is due to end on September 1.

Campaigners say if the bus route is axed, many residents in rural communities will be left cut off and isolated.

Many people even lined the streets in Wotton and Wickwar, greeting and cheering on the demonstrators.

Among those in attendance included Cllr Linda Cohen who joined in the march, as well as Wotton mayor Paul Smith, Simon Opher MP and Rosalind Savage MP.

Organiser Barbara Lawrence said: “Collectively we held this protest to raise awareness that time is critical with only five weeks of our vital 84/85 rural bus route remaining.

“It is a bus route covering 32 mile round trip serving 11 communities for work, education, GP appointments, affordable shopping, health and wellbeing, access to the Cotswold Way and our villages for many visitors and for onward travel links.

“We need clarity and transparency from local transport authorities as to why they would remove the interconnectivity which is socially and economically necessary for our communities.

“We understand that inflation and financial pressures make funding public services difficult at present and we made the best of the revised service provided for the last 18 months.”

“This vital service is a lifeline" says MP 

South Cotswolds MP Rosalind Savage who represents Kingswood, Hillesley and Alderley said: "The number of people who showed up on a scorching hot Friday morning to march against the loss of the 84/85 bus route shows just how much it matters.

“This vital service is a lifeline for our rural communities, providing essential access to healthcare, employment, education, and social opportunities.

“The loss of this route would disproportionately affect our most vulnerable residents, including the elderly, disabled, and those without access to private transport.

“I urge the authorities to keep it operational - where there’s a will, there’s always a way."

"It's imperative the route is saved" says MP 

Stroud MP Simon Opher said: "This is exactly why the new Government plans to give control over buses back to local authorities to allow them to run services themselves.

"We need to turn the ‘profit first’ model on its head and put service back at the heart of public services.

“WECA has told me about their plan to re-route the 84/85 bus service so that it misses out Wotton, and resisted all efforts to get them to think again.

"We are now waiting for WECA (which includes South Gloucestershire Council) to tell us how much extra funding they need to keep the route open.

“I have been very happy to support the brilliant campaign led by Barbara Lawrence and Cllr Linda Cohen to save the Wotton service.

"People depend on this bus to get to work, for school, college or healthcare appointments.

"Young people are the biggest bus users and will be hardest hit if the service is axed.

"What on earth are they supposed to do if the service is axed? Move out of Wotton?

“The route goes through Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire.

"Working across council boundaries is a real challenge, but shouldn’t be insurmountable. Gloucestershire County Council has been supportive, but we need one last effort across all the authorities to save the route.

"It's imperative the route is saved."

"This is not the end of the road"

Cllr Linda Cohen said: "This is not the end of the road.

"As I write Gloucestershire County Council officers and the cabinet member are still trying to arrive at a solution which would give residents of Wotton, Kingswood and Hillesley a timetabled bus service with onward connections. 

"I have faith that they understand the importance of not leaving students high and dry (unable to go to school or college), residents destitute because they have no means to access work and the elderly  and sick without the means to attend hospital appointments. 

"A regular, reliable public transport network should be the right of every citizen in Gloucestershire, if we are to rebuild the economy and lift people out of poverty."
 

(Image: Janet Young / Save the W-U-E to Yate bus service FB group)

Simon Opher MP (above) and Rosalind Savage MP (below) at the 84/85 bus protest on Friday, July 19 (Image: Simon Opher MP / Rosalind Savage MP)

Transport alternatives launched

It is understood for the service to be saved, three local authorities must agree on a funding solution - including the West of England Combined Authority, South Gloucestershire Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

Officials say transport alternatives have been launched in the South Gloucestershire area including the new WESTlocal bus service as well as the bookable WESTlink scheme.

The WESTlocal two-hourly service for the Cotswold Edge is expected to start on September 1 covering Hawkesbury Upton, Wickwar, Charfield, Chipping Sodbury and Yate, running Monday to Saturday.

Meanwhile, residents in Gloucestershire can use the new bookable Robin minibus service launched by GCC.

However, campaigners say these alternatives do not go far enough.

Ms Lawrence added: “The alternatives which have been proposed such as WESTlocal, WESTlink and Robin are sufficient to complement the 84/85 bus route, not to replace it.

“We need those authorities who have been allocated with regional funding to collaborate and work toward a final solution in funding our bus route now.”

The 84/85 bus - which is facing the axe - parked in Chipping Sodbury (Image: The Big Lemon CIC)

South Gloucestershire Council statement 

South Gloucestershire Council says they have been “doing all it can” to keep the 84/85 bus service in operation.

SGC cabinet member for infrastructure, Cllr Chris Willmore, said: “We have heard loud and clear the voices of residents, particularly those living in our rural communities, about the fact that without reliable local bus services, they can be cut off from work, education and opportunity.

“We continue to relay those voices to WECA, who ultimately have responsibility for local bus services as the transport authority.

“We want to see long-term solutions to these issues, and not just the patchwork of short-term fixes that we too often find ourselves left with.

“We will only find long-term solutions if long-term funding is committed by the transport authority.

“So, while it is another short-term fix, I am nonetheless delighted to see that the West of England Rural Network (WERN) have been successful in their bid to WESTlocal.

“WERN are an excellent example of the strength of communities working together, with local government, to achieve our shared goals.

“This funding stream is run by the Combined Authority, and the money they have allocated will enable a new limited service to operate covering Hawkesbury Upton, Wickwar, Charfield, Chipping Sodbury and Yate, running Monday to Saturday.

“This is short-term relief, but South Gloucestershire Council will leave no stone unturned, continuing to work with residents and community groups like WERN, along with Gloucestershire County Council and WECA, until we have a reliable, affordable and fit for purpose bus network for the long term."

Gloucestershire County Council statement

Cllr Philip Robinson, cabinet member responsible for bus transport, said: “GCC partially funds a small proportion of this service as only a minimal section of the route lies within our county.

“When we were made aware it was under threat, we offered more money in an attempt to secure the route.

“Sadly, while we tried everything to save it this was not the final outcome.

“We fully understand how important these services are to our residents who need to get around be it to work, medical appointments or socialising.

“We recently launched a new Robin demand-responsive bus service in the area and continue to subsidise a number of other bus services in the vicinity.

“There will be an urgent review of these services to ascertain whether it’s feasible to amend them and pick up at least some stops left without a service by the withdrawal of the 84/85 by WECA.”

For more information about the protest see Facebook group - Save the W-U-E to Yate bus service FB group - here - tinyurl.com/4vzsfsdr