The Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has dismissed attempts by the Conservatives to extend the last bus service to connect two South Gloucestershire towns.
The 622 Thornbury to Yate service was initially due to end on 1 April after the WECA Mayor, Labour’s Dan Norris, decided to no longer support it, as part of a controversial approach in which WECA doesn’t contribute funding to any subsidised bus services.
As a result, Conservative-run South Gloucestershire Council last month put £55,000 aside to extent the 622 for two months, based on figures advised by WECA. This was in addition to its Transport Levy payment.
The extension was intended to allow a transition period before the introduction of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), a new way of delivering bus services that will allow people to book a ride when they need one.
But after the Council agreed its budget, WECA then advised that the cost of the extension had risen to almost £144,000, an increase of 162%.
At a WECA meeting on Friday 17 March South Glos Council, which together with Bristol City Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council makes up WECA, called on the WECA Mayor to step in to fund the shortfall.
But the Mayor refused, preferring instead to send £785,000 that could have been spent on bus services to sit in one of WECA’s reserve pots.
WECA is the regional’s legal transport authority, which means it has overall responsibility for delivering bus services in South Gloucestershire. WECA, however, expects local councils to fund bus subsidies through the Transport Levy.
The Conservatives feel the WECA Mayor’s decision not to step in to extend the 622 represents a failure to fulfil his responsibilities.
Cllr Steve Reade, Conservative Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environment and Strategic Infrastructure at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “I am extremely disappointed to see the WECA Mayor veto our attempts to ensure the 622 service could be extended.
“This extension would have been enormously beneficial for residents to allow a period of grace while the new Demand Responsive Travel model is introduced. The Council was keen to make it happen and we had cross-party support but, sadly, the WECA Mayor did not share our commitment to residents.
“It makes no sense to have this money sitting in WECA’s reserves when bus users need it now. We continue to believe that the WECA Mayor is taking a mean approach to funding existing bus services. WECA is the transport authority and yet the Mayor prioritises spending £8m on lavish new offices and leaves the councils to fund bus services alone.”
Cllr Matthew Riddle, Conservative ward member for Severn Vale at South Gloucestershire Council, and member of the WECA Audit Committee, said: “Without an extension to the 622, there will be no link between Yate and Thornbury. This will mean over 5,500 journeys will not be catered for.
“We fully understand how important bus services are to local communities. It’s absolutely vital that we have a well-connected public transport network that works in the interests of residents. Unfortunately, the current WECA Mayor doesn’t seem willing to do what is necessary to protect frontline services.”
The 622 will now come to an end at the start of April along with wider cuts to the bus network. The decision not to support the extension of the 622 is another example of the WECA Mayor’s skewed spending priorities.
He recently decided to spend £8m on a swanky new office in Bristol instead of using empty spaces in councils’ existing offices.
