Bridgwater Bus Access Must Improve, Council Urged to Act Quickly

Somerset Council needs to fix bus access. The buses struggle to reach Bridgwater station. Improvements happened in 2019, with funding from several groups. The current layout, including the car park and roundabout, is the problem. Buses cannot turn easily.

A councillor wants action now and mentioned the local transport plan. The council claims it is working on it. The councillor spoke in Taunton and pointed out the bus stop issue, asking when changes would happen. A transport councillor said he is aware and wants to solve it.

The bus stop sits on railway land, leased by Great Western Railway (GWR). The councillor met with GWR last fall to talk about making things better. The council also met with Bridgwater Town Council.

They agreed to create improvement plans and will seek funds for the work. Railway property changes are complex and need GWR’s help for the solution, as St John’s Street lacks improvement funds.

A town councillor mentioned a funding source involving a new gigafactory project. An MP has pushed for better bus service and met with FirstBus representatives. People complained about various bus issues.

These include unreliable services and limited routes, and the lack of evening services. The MP will discuss these problems further with Somerset Council soon, as they have a revised bus plan.

He thinks bus service is vital, particularly because rural residents rely on them greatly. He wants reliable transport access.