[for info] Fwd: NES Bus Petition Demonstration in Keynsham On Friday 6 October

Dear All

We are thrilled that over 900 people have already signed our petition. Let’s get it over a thousand by spreading it to friends, families, neighbours, local business etc. These links will make it easy to share via X (Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp, and email.

Many signatories have also shared comments and we have now published those for which we have permission.  They are worth reading to remind ourselves of why we are campaigning for the restoration of reliable public transport.

This Friday afternoon, the WECA Committee will meet, and public transport is on the agenda. The WECA Mayor and the leaders of B&NES, Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire will be present.

You are welcome to join a peaceful gathering at 12 noon on Friday 6 October outside the Keynsham Civic Centre, Market Walk, Keynsham, BS31 1FS. We will demonstrate our concern about this serious issue of loss of reliable rural transport. We will have a banner and placards but feel free to bring your own.

If you would like to put up a poster in your village, or give it to friends and neighbours without access to the internet, the link is here: www.bathnesbuspetition.org.uk/signup/poster.pdf

I want to emphasise that this is a not a political party initiative as thousands of North East Somerset residents are affected, regardless of whom you voted for.

I hope to see you on Friday!

Best wishes

Fiona

Fiona Gourley
Councillor for Bathavon South

Member Advocate for Rural Communities

www.bathnes.gov.uk

Dear Parish Councillors

Many of you have heard from your residents about their anger and anxiety caused by the loss of their regular buses, and Westlink’s lack of reliability, particularly in the rural areas of North East Somerset. As you may know, WECA is the Transport Authority with £57m to spend on buses and the Government’s permission to support regular buses. As Member Advocate for Rural Communities, I have discussed with NES councillors from all parties and none, parish councils, bus campaigners and residents how we can persuade the WECA Mayor to use some of this money to benefit all our residents – it would cost around £2m to restore the lost buses in NES. B&NES has already given WECA £1m towards supported buses this year and in July we sent him an innovative, cost-effective proposal for a rural bus network. He refused our plan, calling it “bus bingo”.

The next stage in the campaign is to gather a petition from our residents to tell the WECA Mayor that the loss of rural buses is no game for them. He should not waste millions of pounds on cosmetic branding (£4m) or birthday buses (£8m), when entire communities (around 40,000 people) have lost their regular bus service. Here is the link:

https://www.bathnesbuspetition.org.uk/

Please would you share it with your councillors, residents, community groups, local businesses etc?

I will follow up with FB advertisements and physical posters that can be distributed to people who are not on social media or the internet, as it is many of our older residents who are feeling the loss of public transport, and their independence most badly.

This is a cross-party initiative as all our residents are impacted, regardless of who they voted for. Do get in contact if you want more information.

Best wishes and thank you for your support.

Fiona

Fiona Gourley
Councillor for Bathavon South

www.bathnes.gov.uk