Two “revolutionary” bus services are now running in a corner of North East Somerset until recently cut off from all public transport — and people in the Midsomer Norton area have been riding them for free.

The new service launched on Sunday, September 1, runs in a figure of eight around the Chew Valley’s villages, connecting them to the Midsomer Norton Tesco and other buses to Bath and Bristol. 

And the valley’s once-a-day commuter shuttle to Bristol is now running three times a day, stopping at more villages at Bristol’s Parson Street station.

The new routes are among the latest to be funded through the West of England Combined Authority’s WESTlocal scheme, which allows local groups to set up their own bus services. 

Eight new WESTlocal routes have been launched and Dan Norris, who heads the combined authority as Metro Mayor as well as being the area’s local MP, said he was “delighted” with the new routes, which will be free to ride until Sunday, September 15.

Local public transport campaigner Jackie Head, a member of the local sustainable travel group, said: “These two routes are revolutionary. We have never had this kind of service in the Chew Valley before.”

Only last year, the valley was left without any timetabled public transport after all buses serving the area were axed in a wave of bus cuts that hit most of rural North East Somerset. In April, the WESTlocal X91 Chew Valley Sprint was set up under the scheme, running once a day between Bishop Sutton, Chew Stoke, Chew Manga and Bristol and back.

Now the bus has been expanded to cover more villages and run three times a day in each direction. The bus now starts in Ubley and also runs through Compron Martin, West Harptree, and East Harptree. In Bristol it will also stop at Parson Street station from which passengers can catch trains to Weston-super-Mare.

Meanwhile the WESTlocal 99 Chew Valley Cat launched to connect villages in the Chew Valley with each other and the A37, where passengers can connect to buses heading to Bath and Bristol. It will run as far as Paulton and the big Tesco on the edge of Midsomer Norton. 

The funding for the buses is secured until at least March 2026, ensuring that the services will continue operating through that period. However, the continuation of these bus services beyond that date remains uncertain and will depend on future funding decisions and evaluations.

Nearby Keynsham is also benefiting from new buses under the WESTlocal scheme with a new K1 bus service running between south Keynsham and Somerdal,e and a new 532 service running to Yate with midday and afternoon return services to Emersons Green.

The 2V bus between Radstock and Odd Down Park and Ride via Paulton — which opened in April designed to serve people who relied on the axed 82 bus — was also funded by the WESTlocal scheme.