Next Stop, Better Buses

People across the West of England are being invited to help shape the future of local bus services.

The @West of England Mayoral Combined Authority is seeking views on what matters most when travelling by bus, as it develops a new Bus Plan to improve services across the region.

Whether you travel daily or occasionally, your feedback will help build a network that works better for everyone. Input is welcomed from residents, businesses, and bus users to help inform meaningful improvements.

If you have a perspective to share, now is the time to get involved.
Have your say and help shape better bus services in your area www.haveyoursaywest.co.uk/betterbuses before the 10 May!

#NextStopBetterBuses #WestOfEngland #HaveYourSay

Camerton Parish Council together with all the parish councils in the Somer Valley fully supports the campaign to ‘Reinstate the 179 bus and increase the 768 buses into bath’ (a key improvement for Question 14 on the Survey)

If you would like a copy of the survey as a paper copy to fill in (that can be returned ‘FREE POST’) back to WECA – then please contact the Parish Clerk via the contact page on this website or via clerk@camertonparishcouncil.gov.uk

Forgotten Valley Bus Campaign

UPDATE 20 April 2026

No doubt most of you will have heard by now that in her very delayed reply to our proposals presented to the WECA Mayor on behalf of all 9 “Forgotten Valley” Parish Councils and their Ward Councillors, she declared that
“As for reinstating the 179 bus service, unfortunately this won’t be possible at the moment due to budget constraints.”

This statement completely flies in the face of everything we have been always told: that no decisions would be made until there had been a full review of bus needs based on the evidence available and the results of her own Better Bus Survey….. which doesn’t close until 10/5/26 !
SO HOW CAN SHE MAKE SUCH A DECLARATION NOW WITHOUT COMPLETING THE REVIEW ??

However, last Thursday evening we have a scheduled meeting with a senior WECA officer from their Public Transport team.  He shared with us that there are current proposals for subsidised bus routes that will shortly be offered out to tender.  Our input was welcomed and this will be included in the tender exercise.  If and when these services are confirmed (late May, to commence in July), work will continue with the community to ensure that the services are well promoted and input received on to any future service changes.

One possible route, with our suggested amendments, now looks very similar to the core old 179 route, but we’re not there yet, so there is still hope!

Now more than ever, we need to get those Better Bus surveys done to really show how much we need a bus which, if not the old 179 then one that very much replicates it, and if to achieve that it means calling it something else, then that’s fine, as long as we get something which looks very much like a 179!

768
It looks very much like will continue in one shape or another. Although very much still on the drawing board it was agreed that its current timetable very much needed to change to cater for students and commuter.

Detailed planning talks to continue
So, despite the WECA mayor”s bombshell last Thursday we are pleased to report that there is still hope.
As such we continue the campaign to get the much improved bus services to Bath not only by route but also frequency.

So please, complete this survey, put in Q14 “ Reinstate the 179 and improve the 768” and get everyone you know to do the same. Go to
www.haveyoursaywest.co.uk/betterbuses

Thank you

Update 14 April 2026

You may have also see the Facebook page from “The FORGOTTEN (Cam) VALLEY BUS CAMPAIGN

BETTER BUSES MEANS:

      INCREASED: mobility, independence for older and younger people, retention of community identity, local economy benefits, socialising and, would you believe, property values.
     REDUCED – damage to the environment, pressure on Frontline Services and need to move or change job /school.

Whether you’re a bus user or not, lack of them affects us all! So YOU, YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS NEED TO COMPLETE THE WECA SURVEY NOW
This is our last chance, please make sure you complete Q14 with:

“REINSTATE THE 179 and INCREASE THE 768 BUS SERVICES TO BATH”

On behalf of the FORGOTTEN VALLEY BUS CAMPAIGN, thank you.