I have had far too many conversations with upset and distraught residents of Timsbury since the cuts to the 179 subsidised bus services through our village (Meadgate / Camerton and Tunley) and their replacement by the new 522 “around the houses” subsidised route and the on-demand WESTLink from WECA.

One of these residents wrote to me and asked for her handwritten letter to be sent on to yourselves to highlight the problems faced by bus passengers in Timsbury, with the hope that this adds to the collective pressure on Dan Norris and WECA to use some of the £57m available locally to reinstate the 179 service direct from Timsbury to Bath.

Dear Editor,

Reference the 522 First Bus service, from Bristol (via Timsbury) to Bath which was put on when our local subsidised direct 179 bus service were taken away in July.  It used to take 25 minutes to travel from Timsbury to Bath, as you can see from my itinerary below, it now takes me seven hours to do a trip to Bath to the bank and get some shopping – if I decided to visit the parks, galleries, museums, etc – which I love to do, it would take me forever!

I am an independent fit widow and have lived in Timsbury for nine years; if this is the only way to get anywhere, I will have no choice but to move out of the village.

The 522 is often early to Timsbury, forcing passengers to wait another hour for the next service, only for the bus to rush through the rural villages, and then stop for 10 minutes in MSN as we are too early; What is the point of the timetable!?!

I know we have the WESTLink but I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t had a problem with it, either too late on pick-ups for those with hospital appointments, or missed people ringing up to say I’m ready for pick up and being told sorry no drivers available, and thus left stranded; so, no thank you!

Please help us as this is a ridiculous situation to be in, goodness knows how commuters and college students get about!

Thank you, Mrs G Miles

This is nearly four hours, instead of the previous 50 minute return!  This is just not good enough!

Please, please, please Dan, work with B&NES, the local bus campaigners and our Parish Councils and sort out this mess and reinstate the 179, and other cut, services asap using the £57m BSIP funds!