Luke Hall has called on South Gloucestershire Council and West of England Metro Mayor, Dan Norris to resurrect the vital 84, 85 and 622 bus services, calling them ‘a lifeline for local villages’, rather than introducing free bus travel for people on their birthday month.
New Government funding of up to £300 million has been announced, to protect bus services across the UK into 2025 and keep bus travel affordable for commuters and families. With many bus services still facing considerable pressures and the risk of cancellation continuing to loom over South Gloucestershire, local MP has welcomed further investment that could provide a lifeline to key rural services.
However, the Metro Mayor for the West of England, Dan Norris has recently used £8million of public money to instead give people free bus travel during your birthday month. Luke has suggested this large sum of money could have been better spent on protecting rural bus services in South Gloucestershire, particularly the 84, 85 and 622 services, which serve towns and villages including Rangeworthy, Charfield, Cromhall, Wickwar, Hawkesbury and Chipping Sodbury, Horton and Yate, but is under threat of being removed. The previous, Conservative led Council, provided funding to support the service because of its importance to the community and the number of residents who depend on the connection for employment, education and access to health services.
With new and extra funding now announced by the Department for Transport, Luke has stated the new Labour and Liberal Democrat run Council, alongside the West of England Mayor, must look again this decision.
Reacting to the Metro Mayor’s recent announcement Luke Hall said, “This an incredibly irresponsible use of £8million of public money that could have gone towards new rural services, resurrecting the 84, 85 and 622 routes, rather than being spent on silly birthday gimmicks in Bristol.”
In addition to the £300m being made available to local Councils to protect bus services, the Government has also confirmed that they will capping single bus fares at £2 outside London until the end of October 2023 and then at £2.50 until 30 November 2024.
