Up to 42 bus routes set to be axed in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset

Funding for more than half the publicly subsidised services in the region has been cut Credit: PA images

More than 42 bus routes across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North East Somerset are set to be axed.

It comes as funding for more than half the publicly subsidised services in the region has been cut, meaning they are likely to stop operating in April.

Passengers in many parts of the region will be able to catch a new 'dial-a-ride' minibus, which will act almost like a shared Uber.

It will run in Windmill Hill, Knowle, Brislington and St Annes, as well as large parts of North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

The service cuts were signed off by the West of England combined authority on Wednesday (18 January).

The axed bus routes represent 60% of the region’s total 69 subsidised services but it is unclear exactly which bus routes will be affected, with a full list due to be released soon.

The West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris said the transport levy paid by councils in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset were not big enough to subsidise the bus routes.

He said: "“It’s their [the three councils’] money effectively and they’re saying how it should be spent. That’s not satisfactory from my perspective.

"We have a real term cut in supported bus services because the levy has not increased. The levy is much lower than in other parts of the country.

"With inflation and the same budget being frozen, that inevitably leads to cuts. That’s not acceptable to me but that’s where we are."

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A list showing the services which are likely facing withdrawal of funding has been released and includes:

  • 506 Bristol city centre to Southmead Hospital

  • 179 Bath to Midsomer Norton

  • 672 Bristol to Blagdon

  • 185 Paulton to Trowbridge

  • 636 Whitchurch to Keynsham

  • 640 Bishop Sutton to Keynsham

  • 668 Peasedown St John to Bristol city centre

  • 683 Keynsham to Wells

  • 757 Combe Hay to Midsomer Norton

  • 172 Bath to Paulton

  • 178 Midsomer Norton to Brislington Park and Ride

  • 752 Hinton Blewett to Bath city centre

  • 754 Hinton Blewett to Radstock

  • 768 Bath bus station to Radstock and Midsomer Norton

  • 52 Hengrove Park to Bristol city centre

  • 516 Knowle to Hengrove Park

  • 622 Chipping Sodbury to Cribbs Causeway

  • 626 Wotton-under-Edge to Bristol city centre

  • 511 Bedminster to Hengrove

  • 512 Totterdown to Bristol city centre

  • 513/514 Knowle to Brislington

  • 17 Southmead Hospital to Kingswood

  • 82 Radstock to Paulton

  • 84/85 Yate to Wotton-under-Edge

  • 623 Hollywood Lane to Cribbs Causeway

  • 634 Tomarton to Kingswood

  • 663 Somerdale to Chandag Road

  • 664 Keynsham to Saltford

  • 665 Somerdale to Longmeadow Road

  • 684 Wick to Keynsham

  • 22 Twerton to Bath Uni

  • 202 Chipping Sodbury to Winterbourne

  • 963 Patchway to Bradley Stoke and Winterbourne

  • 948 Pucklechurch to Mangotsfield and Sir Bernard Lovell School

  • 967 Westerleigh to Chipping Sodbury School and Brimsham Green School

  • 680 North Yate to Chipping Sodbury and SGS College Filton

Credit: Local Democracy Reporter Service/Alex Seabrook