MORE than 10,000 people in the Cam Valley still lack a fit-for-purpose bus service to Bath and their neighbouring communities, says a local campaign group.

A decade of campaigning and evidence-based requests for action, parish councils and the Forgotten Valley Bus Campaign (FVBC) are starting to receive acknowledgement and response, they say, from Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and her bus team.

FVBC co-leader Clive Turner said: “The services available in the Cam Valley are unreliable and unpredictable. Buses follow routes that are not practical for their communities, with very limited services directly into Bath.

“They do not meet real-world needs, with timetables that do not match commuting or school hours.

“Demand Responsive Westlink transport remains problematic and users cannot rely on it to get where they need to go or when the need to get there.

“The situation is eroding public trust and leaving many residents unable to rely on public transport at all. Our communities describe daily disruption and deserve better.

"If WECA fails to act now, we face yet another year stranded. We will not accept that: Ten years is long enough.”

The campaign team says the local picture reflects a national trend with government figures from 2024 showing 300-million fewer bus miles driven in 2024 than in 2010.

Rural areas have been hit hardest, they say, and the Cam Valley is a clear example.

Cam Valley residents are being encouraged to voice their concerns about the “bus famine” they are suffering. WECA are inviting people across the West of England to shape the future of local bus services as part of their new Bus Plan via a consultation that runs until the May 10.

Campaigners are calling for the mayor to reinstate the much missed 179 bus service (with an extension to include Farrington Gurney) and to increase the 768. With limited buses to catch in the Cam Valley the inequality for local families is clearly felt, say campaigners.

WECA mayor Ms Godwin has written several times to FVBC co-leader Clive about funding for the 179 bus service and communications regarding tender processes in the area.

She told Clive: “I recognise the importance of bus connectivity in the Cam Valley and have since spoken to our bus team to ensure I have the most up to date information.”

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has secured £42.4-million in government funding for bus services over the next three years, and are funding initiatives such as “kids go free” during school holidays.

The Forgotten Valley Bus Campaign was born out of the Save The 179 bus campaign of 2016. It represents residents across the Cam Valley and surrounding villages who have been without a fit for purpose bus service to Bath since the withdrawal of previous routes.

Campaigners are working with parish councils, local communities, and regional authorities to secure a fit-for-purpose service for the villages of Hallatrow, High Littleton, Farmborough, Timsbury, Camerton, Meadgate, Tunley, Priston, Inglesbatch and Englishcombe.