CLLR Mick Lerry, Mayor of Bridgwater Town Council, has publicly addressed the "disgrace" that is Bridgwater's bus service.

In a statement earlier this week, Cllr Lerry revealed that he was forced to report the reliability issues surrounding First Bus services in the town, to the Somerset Bus Partnership.

He also raised concerns from the public, that the changes to three frequently used services will make locals' commutes to work more difficult, as well as fare prices rising again to £2.50.

"There had been an increase in passengers when the fares had been reduced to £2.00, but they will increase in November to £2.50."

The Mayor went on to address the shortage of drivers, and the further impact that the impending closure of Bridgwater Bus Depot will have on not only commuters, but Bridgwater bus drivers.

“The shortage of drivers is putting extreme pressure on reliability and the proposal to close the Bus Depot in Bridgwater, will also mean that drivers will have to travel to other depots to start work," Cllr Lerry said.

"This could lead to a further erosion in the number of drivers available to operate a good bus service. Now passengers are reluctant to rely on the bus service if they have a medical or dentist appointment.

"There are only a small number of routes that make a profit the others must be subsidised; the private commercial business of First Bus is unable to provide the service necessary for people without transport and for those who turn to using their car.

"Many drivers are preferring to work for the company transporting workers to Hinkley C, which is making it difficult for drivers to be recruited."

Cllr Brian Smedley, Bridgwater Town Council leader, then wrote to First Bus to urge them to reconsider their decision to close the bus depot. He described the imminent closure as "totally at odds with Bridgwater's recent and future growth".

"The matter has been raised at the Somerset Bus partnership, the Bridgwater Transport Forum and at the Bridgwater Trades Council this week, and there is universal opposition to this plan which also includes cutting back of services in the Bridgwater area," he said.

"This is totally at odds with Bridgwater's recent and future growth as an economic hub with the Hinkley Point project well underway and the Gravity 'Gigafactory' imminent. 

"The Town Council strongly promotes the idea of green energy and sustainable transport and are therefore keen to focus on increased and not diminished bus provision.

"Therefore your decision does not seem in touch with the reality of the situation on the ground here in Bridgwater."

Cllr Smedley finished the plea by inviting Simon Goff, managing director of First South, to attend a a Transport Forum meeting, or a Bridgwater Town Council meeting to explain his position.

Mr Goff responded to Mayor Lerry and Cllr Smedley's concerns over the situation, assuring them that the closure of the bus depot will not affect First Bus operations in Bridgwater.

“We have been transparent about the challenges we have faced in Somerset," said Mr Goff in a statement.

"Passenger numbers remain extremely low on some routes, and we cannot afford to run empty buses which mean we are operating at a loss. To retain the network in Somerset, we have to make changes.

“To be clear, our operations will not be affected by the closure of our Bridgwater depot. We operate with a number of depots in close proximity of Bridgwater, including Taunton, which is only 11 miles away, allowing us to continue to run services without any disruption to passengers.

“We fully acknowledge the service delivery issues we’ve previously faced in Somerset and we’re sorry for the impact this has had on local bus users. Reliability is our primary focus, and we are working hard to ensure our routes are fully resourced. There is a national shortage of drivers, and this has affected our operations in Somerset, but we’re tackling this through campaigns to attract trainees, as well as expanding our driver training school.

"In addition, we’ve also reviewed our network, and the new timetables from September 3rd are based on real time passenger data which helps us focus our resources where they are needed most making the existing network more attractive.

“We continue to work closely with Somerset Council, and local stakeholders to help promote and support bus usage in Somerset. If Cllr Lerry would like to directly discuss his concerns with us we would be happy to engage with him.”

Mr Goff also responded to Cllr Lerry's concern of the bus fares being raised again to £2.50, by outlining that this decision was due to the government's increase of the bus fare cap.

"Buses of Somerset supports the government’s £2 fare cap to encourage more people to take the bus. The change to the cap to £2.50 from November is led by the government, rather than an individual bus operator decision."

Bridgwater Trades Union Council has since called for a protest against the bus depot's closure, supported by Bridgwater bus drivers and other bus depot workers.

Cllr Brian Smedley informed Mr Goff of the date and time of the protest, and invites all who will be affected by the depot's closure to get involved.

 “The protest will take place at Bridgwater Bus Station this Saturday 26th August, from 10am to 11.30am. All bus passengers, Bus User Groups, and Parish, Town and Somerset councillors are warmly invited to attend and support this protest.”

Dave Chapple, secretary of Bridgwater Trades Union Council, questioned Simon Goff's decision to close the depot. 

"First Bus, let alone First Bus in Somerset, is a hugely profitable company. So why must the Bridgwater depot, a strong RMT trade union branch, be singled out? Expected to ‘stand-alone’ with its revenue and expenditure?" said Chapple in a statement.

It is reported that 53 Bridgwater-based bus drivers, supervisors, admin staff, mechanics and cleaners, all members of the RMT union, will lose their Bridgwater depot signing-on base upon the closure of the depot.

“The decision to close the Bridgwater Bus Depot, which has been a central part of town life since the second world war, is a disgrace, as well as a tragedy for the workers affected," Chapple said.

"Simon Goff has promised the RMT that any alternatives to closure will be reconsidered. So: Is First Bus a profitable company? Yes! Should they re-consider their Bridgwater Depot closure plan? Yes! Should they reinstate all the proposed cuts to their services? Yes!"

In response to the Bridgwater Trades Union Council comments, Simon Goff of First Bus said: "We are continuing to consult with our colleagues on the closure of our Bridgwater depot.

"52 members of staff are affected, many of whom have already accepted other roles within our business. We are working to retain as many of our staff as possible, and depending on their role, they have been offered different options, including transfer packages and support to allow them to make decisions about their next steps.

“It is incorrect to say services will be ‘slashed’. The new network timetable which will be introduced from September 3rd is based on real time passenger data which helps us focus our resources where they are needed most. This way we ensure we can best support the wider network and continue to deliver a service for Somerset.”

The protest, led by Bridgwater Trades Union Council will go ahead at Bridgwater Bus Station this Saturday August 26, from 10am to 11.30am.