Somerset County Council is funding a vital replacement service on a key Frome bus routes due to be withdrawn by the operator.
First West of England announced in the summer it was discontinuing the D2 between Bath and Frome from next October as part of a package of changes prompted by low patronage.
The Council has now confirmed that from 10 October it is funding evening weekday D2 journeys at 8.10pm and 10.10pm from Frome to Bath and 9.10pm and 11.10pm from Bath to Frome. First West of England is continuing to provide daytime, Saturday evening and Sunday journeys on the D2.
The D2 evening service is a lifeline for local communities and vital for those studying or working unsocial hours in Bath.
Somerset County Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Digital Cllr Mike Rigby said: “We’re delighted we’ve been able to step in and keep these lifeline services running. We know how important they are to local people and since the announcement that they were going to be withdrawn our team has been working really hard to find a solution to keep some of the routes running. We’ll continue to do all we can but we can’t stress enough that people need to support their services to ensure they are maintained. In March Government funding runs out again and many of these services will be under threat – we’re working hard to ensure they continue but we need people to use them.”
Leader of Frome Town Council, Cllr Anita Collier said, “This is something for all of us to think about. It’s great that Somerset County Council have stepped in to secure the D2 evening bus service to Bath but it’s only viable if we all make an effort to use it. So I strongly urge everyone to make use of our local buses wherever and whenever possible.”
Somerset County Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership have launched a campaign to get more people onto buses – read more about how you could save money.
In recent months a number of services have been withdrawn in the county by operators and Somerset County Council has stepped in to save as many as it can, including the 3 service Bishops Hull to Taunton, 30 Frome Town Service and the 68 Yeovil to Barwick and Stoford.
The cost is high to maintain services with funds coming from the Bus Recovery Grant from the Government which has been extended to March 2023.
Frome Town Council have created a useful bus map for residents and visitors alike to help you plan your journeys. It shows you where your nearest bus stops are and which route each bus takes. Download the map and find bus timetables and more information and transport options in Frome on our Transport page.
