Chew Valley Area Forum Climate & Nature Emergency Sustainable Transport Working Group are working closely with B&NES & WECA to ensure that accurate information is communicated about changes to bus services in the Chew Valley that will be happening from April.
LA Facebook Group has been created as a space to gather a community of people wanting to use public transport in the Chew Valley, where we can disseminate information ‘from the horses mouth’ of our regular contacts with B&NES & WECA. We are now having joint meetings with them weekly (and at the moment several phone calls and emails a day!)https://www.facebook.com/groups/858992922045608
If you, or someone you know relies on 640, 672, 752, or 754, please email Jackie jch.221@gmail.com or phone 07900 641 839 so that we can collate information about the impact of imminent bus changes and link you to support for your travel needs.
DRT is funded by Bus Service Improvement Plan funding and this is for 2 years from 3rd April. The service needs to become commercially viable within this time in order to be considered for future funding beyond this. We MUST use it in every community to make it commercially viable within 2 years, or there will be NO public transport in the Chew Valley.
The virtual platform also gathers information cumulatively across time, that will be used to consider what services will be needed in 2 years time when the funding for this trial ends. If your community doesn’t use it the system will assume there is no public transport need in your Parish.
Appeals are presently being made to WECA about the 2 shuttle buses that were progressed to tender and bid by WECA but then withdrawn, so we will update you if these get a reprieve.
B&NES/WECA are keen that no person, or community, is left behind.