The No 17 bus service which local people feared would be scrapped at the end of August has been saved.
The bus route is operated partly by bus company First on a commercial basis and subsidised by the West of England Combined Authority, led since May by newly elected Labour Metro Mayor Dan Norris.
Mayor Dan Norris said:
“I’m delighted it has been possible to save the No 17 bus. Cllr Andrea Reid has fought a really powerful campaign and led on this with her excellent petition. This has been backed up strongly by the Week In community newspaper’s petition too. This has helped greatly in my conversations with First and others as I’ve stressed the fundamental importance of this key No 17 service to many local communities.”
“In North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire people have shown they really want and value the No 17 bus that links Keynsham, Kingswood and other communities as it heads to Southmead Hospital. This is an essential route for many patients and hospital staff alike and I’m pleased to be able to help fund it and I will look to do so in the future too.”
“This shows the importance of a good local councillor making a strong case and I’d like to thank Cllr Andrea Reid for showing strong leadership. But it is more than this.”
“This is a victory for local people working in partnership with their brilliant community newspaper, the Week In, and is exactly what good campaigning journalism is all about.”
“Although it is not a long delay, I know there remain concerns about wait times for a bus connection on the No 17 route as it heads towards Southmead Hospital. This is very much in my mind and I’m hoping in future I can do something about this too.”
“As more funding hopefully becomes available, I will be looking to do this and I will be using the No 17 bus service as an example of why the West of England needs and deserves more money from central government. Levelling up isn’t just a north and south thing and that is why I will be pushing for government money to come from London to the West of England so that we don’t keep missing out.”