In March 2026 the funding for existing WESTlocal fixed route buses in the Chew Valley area (X91,99, P1 and 2V) runs out, writes Jackie Head, on behalf of Chew Valley CIC Sustainable Transport Partnership.

That sharpens the mind to find alternative funding streams so that these buses don’t reach that cliff edge and cease running.

You can play your part in keeping these buses going by getting on board and swelling passenger numbers over all, maybe just swapping out one journey a week from car to bus, at which point you may find you are hooked.

But not everyone can or wants to travel by bus, so what can you do if that’s you?

The Great Big Bus Survey is now launched and is open until May 18, 2025. It is not just for bus users to complete but for anyone who travels by any means in and around the Chew Valley. We want responses from people who live and work in the wider area as well as people who travel into the Chew Valley for school, leisure and tourism so we can monitor any trends and changes since the last large scale survey in 2021.

Filling in The Great Big Bus Survey is easiest on a laptop or computer (rather than tablet or phone) as the grid boxes are simpler to read that way. We can also provide paper copies if wanted and visit groups to help people complete the surveys too.

This large-scale deep-dive survey is looking at transport needs generally and habits across all modes of travel, as well as getting a sense of what it would take for more people to transition to bus use. It may take 15-30 minutes to complete so we have offered an incentive of an optional prize draw for a £30 voucher to spend at The Waldegrave in East Harptree (a newly opened community pub). Students at Chew Valley School can also enter a House Competition when they fill in the form.

We hope the survey will also help us decide on changes to ask for in September 2025 and improve the services; generally feedback received is good. As one person put it ‘you haven’t just created a bus route you have created a community.’

The Great Big Bus Survey is now launched and is open until May 18
The Great Big Bus Survey is now launched and is open until May 18 (Chew Valley Sustainable Transport Group)

Contact [email protected] for more information or if you would like to fill in a paper copy of the survey.