SOMERSET Council has stepped in to save four sus services with low passenger numbers.

The authority is using cash from the Government's Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding to subsidise services until the end of March.

The services are:

  • 54 Yeovil to Taunton.
  • 58/58a Yeovil to Wincanton.
  • 25 Taunton to Dulverton.
  • 28 Taunton to Minehead.

Somerset Council plans to work with bus operator First South to encourage more passengers to use the routes as part of its ongoing Bus It campaign, with the aim of making the routes financially viable.

First South will review the routes later in the year, taking into account new data on passenger uptake.

Somerset Council’s lead member for transport and digital, Cllr Mike Rigby, said: “We want to get the message to people that using the bus for commuting or leisure can save you money and hassle – the 54 is your service from Yeovil to Taunton, and it costs just £2 each way

"That’s incredible value when you compare making the same journey by car – think of the savings you could make just by using it a couple of days a week.

“All these routes link key towns and many village communities in between, but simply not enough people are using them.

"Unless more people bus it, it is unlikely any commercial operator will be able to run these services without subsidy.

“The unfortunate reality is that in the current financial climate the council will not be able to subsidise them indefinitely and that inevitably means people need to use their buses or lose them.

“We’ve shown we can get more people onto buses on key routes if we get the message out there, and that is what we will continue to do."

Somerset Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership launched the ‘Bus It’ campaign last summer to try to encourage more people to take the bus.

Figures show that bus use has increased by 14 per cent across the county in the last year and 24 per cent in Taunton thanks to initiatives such as fare capping and the Bus It campaign.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “People up and down the country deserve a clean, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided Somerset Council with over £12million to boost and retain its bus services.

“Supporting the council to retain these vital services is fantastic for local residents, who will be able to continue get to work, attend medical appointments and visit loved ones for less and more easily.”