WE are delighted to pass on the news that a temporary funding solution has been agreed in principle to enable the X91 and a newly designed version of the 99 to continue after March 2026 when the WESTlocal funding comes to an end.

The Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) has decided to take over control of both services, commissioning them between April 2026 and July 2026. This could potentially mean a change in operator from the Big Lemon. From now onwards MCA will also be consulting with local communities in order to identify ways forward for local rural bus services from August 2026 onwards for a longer (up to 3 year) period, based on their assessment of local need. This is made possible by the new Government Bus Grant.

To improve cost per passenger data on the 99 service, it was changed from a figure of eight to a loop in September 2025 but there were unforeseen problems that arose from this (preventing direct journeys to Pensford for stops east of Chew Stoke and stopping some return journeys from Chew Valley School). From April 2026 the 99 route will change to a simple and more frequent there and back service from Ubley to Pensford, (mimicking its present Saturday evening service). It will also be a largely ‘clockface’ timetable, giving predictable timings which should make it much easier to follow. Numbers on the 99 have dropped off from September so it is VITAL that we are able to show a significant uptake on this route from April to July (and indeed from February if possible) for this route to have any chance of continuing. The X91 is also not out of the woods, so maintaining and growing its numbers needs to be a key project for the community.

This change also means that at the end of March our Chew Valley CIC Sustainable Transport Partnership will cease to exist and will no longer hold the coordinating role for these services or any future services. Our task was to draw down funding and create services for the Chew Valley and work with The Big Lemon to manage their delivery. We needed to prove their worth to the MCA via surveys and the analysis of onboard data, and to engage with the local community to get people on board. It has been a huge task but also a satisfying one, especially now as they have not been cut at the end of their grant funding and a potential forward funding path is possible.

What our sustainable transport group now wants to explore with the MCA is how we can maintain a relationship with the transport services to help drive up numbers and ensure the services are operating as well as they possibly can. It will be harder for us to influence the process without the official role and close contact we have now, and we assume we won’t have access to on board data after April.

However, the most powerful thing that anyone can do to ensure the future of these (or similar) services after July 2026, is build bus use into their regular weekly travel plans. For some this could mean switching the regular commute to work or education to bus travel: likely to be cheaper, less stressful and without the hassle of parking. For others maybe there is one journey a week you could make by bus or just a couple a month. The future of the X91 and 99 are in no way guaranteed beyond July 2026, indeed we would go so far as to say they are still significantly at risk so every journey matters.

If a cautionary tale is needed please remember what happened to the 672; once a commissioned supported bus route, it was threatened with closure in March 2023: our group lobbied to get a stay of execution to July 2023 but then it was stopped. Please don’t let that be the post script to these much loved services!

If you are a local business and would like to encourage more employees and customers to arrive by bus, or want to host a bus friendly event between February and July we can offer great publicity deals and a little funding, to help encourage more footfall your way. Please do get in touch by emailing [email protected]