A bus route serving villages between Bristol and Bath will be axed, its operator has confirmed, despite more than a thousand people urging them to spare it. A petition to save the 178 service attracted almost 1,100 signatures, with personal appeals and high-level meetings between Metro Mayor Dan Norris and First West of England.
But the firm has now stated that the service “will be withdrawn” from next month, with no chance of reprieve. A spokesman repeated that the decision had been taken as a result of driver shortages and falling passenger numbers – despite anecdotal evidence that the service remains popular, even off-peak.
“The very last thing any public transport operator wants to do is reduce or cut any services,” said the spokesman,” but “data shows that passengers do not use services such as the 178 in sufficient numbers and are unlikely to return in the future.” Covid restrictions saw a decline in bus use which has never returned to pre-pandemic levels, he added.
