The service, which was due to finish on the 3rd of June, serves Wotton and Yate, and has been called a lifeline for work, school, and doctor appointments as well as for shopping and leisure activities.
The deal negotiated by the new administration at South Gloucestershire Council will extend services by three months, with Big Lemon taking over the route. Buses will run 2 hourly and include school journeys to Chipping Sodbury and Katherine Lady Berkeley.
Under the former Conservative administration, the amount the Council spent on local authority-funded buses did not keep up with the rising costs – a real terms cut. A decision now shown to be short sighted.
Cllr Claire Young, the Liberal Democrat Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:
“I’m delighted that we’ve managed to save the 84/85 bus, a vital service for many local people. We’ve listened to residents and worked hard with council officials to deliver this extension. It’s not the complete replacement, but it makes sure there is still a connection. This buys us time to work with the communities along the route on a longer term solution, as part of our efforts to tackle the bus crisis we’ve inherited.”
Cllr Young went on to say
“I would also like to put on record my thanks to Cllr Adrian Rush and Cllr John O’Neill for their help in ensuring the needs of their residents were represented throughout the process”.
South Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats have announced a resounding victory for the community with the successful extension of the 84/85 bus service.
