Bristol public transport is a disgrace - MP

Northavon MP Steve Webb was today due to use a parliamentary debate to challenge the Government over what he has described as the "shambles" of public transport in the Bristol area.

Mr Webb will lead a 30-minute debate on the regulation of local bus services in the light of the decision by bus operator First to withdraw the X27 service between Yate and Bristol with no consultation and with a minimum of notice.

First said the commercially run service was no longer viable and announced it would pull out on May 9, effectively leaving many people in North Yate and Iron Acton without any daytime bus services.

South Gloucestershire Council has since stepped in to subsidise the service, which will continue to be run by First from May 10, but under the new arrangement.

Mr Webb said: "The way public transport is run in our area is a disgrace.

"We have one dominant company that provides an expensive service and cherry-picks the best routes.

"It is happy to work with councils on the high-profile 'showcase' routes, but picks and chooses the rest.

"Public transport used to be about public service, but these days it is purely about private profit.

"The Government could have got tough with the bus companies through its recent Local Transport Act but instead just tweaked the rules.

"The new Act did nothing to stop First scrapping the X27 with little notice and now local taxpayers are having to pay to keep the service running."

In the debate the MP will call for greater powers for local councils to determine what bus services operate in their area and to cap excessive fares.

He will quote the views of dozens of local residents who signed an online petition to register their disgust at the threat to the X27.

A minister from the Department for Transport will then respond to the debate.

The council-supported X27 will run for six months initially, providing an hourly service from Mondays to Saturdays between Yate Shopping Centre and Bristol city centre.

Councillors said they would review the service at the end of the six months to decide its future.

It said it had approached other bus companies to see if they would operate a commercial service but the only interest was for a subsidised operation.

The bid from First was the lowest it received, it said.