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As part of the council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, new parking restrictions have been proposed along the X5 bus route in Weston Village to support existing bus services.
The area has also experienced problems with emergency vehicles and refuse collection access due to bottlenecks created by parked vehicles.
The X5 service was recently re-introduced, and includes a new Saturday service, following requests from the community to bring back the X5 and provide a service that connects residents with local supermarkets and amenities.
The bus service was withdrawn following complaints from the bus operator that parking issues were forcing their drivers to over-run kerbed areas, causing damage to the footway and buses, creating pedestrian safety issues, and resulting in buses unable to pass parked cars.
Cllr Hannah Young, Executive Member for Transport and Highways at North Somerset Council, said: "For First Bus to bring back this important service and for it to run reliably, we need to address parking issues within Weston Village. The plans have been agreed by the ambulance and refuse services and now we need to hear from the people that use the roads every day.
“It’s vital residents’ feedback on the proposals to ensure that the plans best meet the needs of the village.”
Residents can comment on the plans using the InConsult page: Weston Village parking restrictions engagement - North Somerset Council Consultations (inconsult.uk)
Bringing back the X5 service is part of North Somerset’s Bus Improvement Service Plan (BSIP). Following a successful bid to the Department for Transport (DfT), over £105m of Government funding has been allocated for bus improvements, with £48m earmarked for capital improvements in North Somerset alone. £57.5m will be used as a pooled revenue fund with the West of England Combined Authority to enable delivery of the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plans aims to offer an improved service, a quicker and greener alternative to using the car, with accessible and affordable bus travel, offering accessible options with simple and consistent fares.
Additional improvements as part of BSIP include:
- The new WESTlink, – a local ‘on demand’ bus service that connects communities that are without a local scheduled service
- improving 18 bus routes in North Somerset, resulting in quicker services and higher bus frequencies in towns and urban areas
- work to reduce carbon emissions from local transport – a key priority for the council as part of its commitment to tackle the climate emergency
- Supporting economic growth enabling people and businesses to connect, attend college whilst travelling easily and affordably to new education and employment opportunities
More information on the Bus Improvement Service Plan can be found on the council website: Bus service improvement plan | North Somerset Council (n-somerset.gov.uk)