News 2021
15 Decenber - 96 Somerset Bus Partnership Respresentatives
Somerset Bus Partnership invited to join the new Somerset Bus Advisory Board
12 November 2021 - Somerset County Council is tasked with setting up a Bus Advisory Board under the National Bus Strategy. The Somerset Bus Partnership have been invited to attend the first meeting on 23rd November.
This will undoubtedly cover the boring bits, like terms of reference, and other administrative details, but it 18will show the way as to how serious the leadership of the Council are in engaging with stakeholders and users of the bus service.
More than 80 representatives4 October 2021 - We now have have more than 80 people willing to report on
bus service improvements needed in Somerset. We are wll on the way to our goal of a bus champion in every
village and town. Come and join us - write something on our Contact page and let us know what you think
Somerset Bus Partnership Meeting 14 & 16 September
On the 14 & 16 September we held Zoom meetings to update on the Somerset Bus Service
Improvement Plan with over 80 Councils, bus user groups and interested parties.
The link for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting (90mins long video) can be
accessed here: https://youtu.be/4H0700KIV4g
Click on the pdf logo for the slides from the meeting
NEXT STEPS
1. Please do write to your MP and given the state of the bus services in Somerset. Emphasise how the Somerset BSIP deserves to be seen as a priority by the Department of Transport.
2. Please contact your County Councillor to ensure the Somerset BSIP addresses your issues with your local buses.
3. It’s never too late to feed your thoughts to Somerset County Council about your bus issues. Email transport@somerset.gov.uk and please copy us in via our email address: somersetbuspartnership@gmail.com.
4. We are concerned about the state of many bus stops and bus shelters (and indeed bus stations) across the County.
a. If there are bus stops and bus shelters local to you that are in need of some care and attention please email us at: somersetbuspartnership@gmail.com and provide the name of the bus stop (on the bus flag at the bus stop or obtained via Google Maps (click on the blue bus icon where your bus stop is located), location of bus stop (e.g. bus stop name: Sainsbury’s Superstore and the and the bus stop code if you can find it. Location: Sainsburys, Sandy/s Hill Lane, Frome)
b. Also let us know if the timetables aren’t up to date on the timetable cases. Please provide bus stop name, location, bus stop code and date of timetable.
c. If you’re a town or parish councillor, could you send us a list of bus stops you own or maintain in your area name of bus stop, bus stop code and location).
5. Last but certainly not least, we are very keen to encourage local people to come forward to represent their area or even their bus route. If you feel you could help us either by becoming your local representative or suggesting someone you feel could undertake that role, then please let us know.
We are waiting to hear back from Somerset County Council when our next meeting will be. We will be in touch soon.
27 August 2021
We are due to meet Somerset County Council and their consultants to hear how the Bus Services Improvement Plan is progressing, on 10th September. We will report back to users and user groups after that.
21 August 2021
Somerset County Council bus survey results announced. See pdf document with Somerset Bus Partnership's analysis.
9 August 2021
Six days left to tell Somerset County Council what you think of bus services in Somerset and how they could be improved.
Please use the Somerset County Council Questionnaire at somerset.inconsult.uk/somerset.bus.survey/consultationHome or send an e-mail to transport@somerset.gov.uk
You can use the feedback form which you will find in our Useful Documents page, or just send an e-mail.
The deadline for this is 15 August 2021, so do it NOW.
13 & 15 July 2021: Somerset Bus Partnership Meeting
We held two Zoom meetings toover100 Councils from across Somerset on why Somerset needs a BSIP, along with our thoughts on what strategies should underpin this Somerset Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Also the link of Tuesday’s Zoom meeting (just over an hour long video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cLmLn2ocUo&t=85s
Our PowerPoint slides can be viewed here:
26 July 2021
Somerset County Council are now working on the Somerset Bus Services Improvement Plan, and are looking for feedback from everyone. This means you!
Please use the Somerset County Council Questionnaire at somerset.inconsult.uk/somerset.bus.survey/consultationHome or send an e-mail to transport@somerset.gov.uk
You can use the feedback form which you will find in our Useful Documents page, or just send an e-mail.
The deadline for this is 15 August 2021, so do it NOW.
30 June 2021
Somerset Bus Partnership seeks and gets assurances from Somerset County Council with regard to consultations.
The response from Mike O'Dowd-Jones is on our documents page
21 June 2021 - Somerset County Council commits to Enhanced Partnerships and Bus Improvement Plan
At the cabinet meeting on 21st June, Somerset County Council
• Agreed that SCC commit to preparing an Enhanced Partnership Plan
and Scheme; and
• Delegated authority to the Strategic Commissioning Manager -
Highways and Transport, in consultation with the County Solicitor,
to draft and publish a Statutory Notice of Intent confirming this
Commitment.
https://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=134&MId=1322
