WEEKLY COLUMN by Stroud District Council leader Catherine Braun 

Buses were again in the news last week. 

On Friday dozens of people gathered in Wotton-under-Edge to walk the route of the 84/85 bus route along the narrow country roads to Yate, wearing hi-vis jackets and pushing along a beautifully designed bus cutout, created by the Save the Bus group.

As Barbara Lawrence from the local campaign highlighted, the 84/85 service is a lifeline to many people, for work, shopping, health appointments, education and more.  Funding for this service is due to be finally withdrawn from 1st September unless the local transport authorities, in South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire, can reach agreement with the West of England Combined Authority, which is responsible for bus services covering the South Gloucestershire area.

Thank you to everyone who is working hard to try and find a solution to maintain this important route across the county border. 

Buses are the most used public transport mode in Britain and are essential to ensure that transport is accessible to everyone and that there is a viable alternative to car use.

A more positive development is the new Berkeley Vale Robin service that started in June, introduced by Gloucestershire County Council under the Bus Improvement Plan.

This on-demand and bookable service is a 16 seater minibus which is wheelchair accessible.

It’s designed to complement the regular scheduled bus services and to reach more rural places, serving over 250 bus stops from Berkeley to Stonehouse and Nailsworth, and everywhere in between.

A single fare is £2 (concession cards can be used) with bookings made online https://orlo.uk/aLu7X or by phone: 0345 263 8139.

I was delighted to hear more about this service and some other upcoming improvements to bus services in the Stroud area, from the Cam and Dursley Transportation Group, who do a great job in promoting and campaigning for better public transport.