Villagers braved icy roads and snow to gather at Bath’s Bus Station to show how much they value a rural bus service.

Residents of Tunley, Timsbury, Farmborough, High Littleton, Camerton and Hallatrow all want the 179 restored, claiming they have felt cut off by the reduced service.

Around sixty people came together to hand over a 1,000-signature petition to First West of England Managing Director, James Freeman, and Bath & North East Somerset Council Transport Chief, Mark Shelford.

Among them was Rosanna Blewett, who said: “The villagers hope that First Bus will find a way to redirect another bus onto the route, perhaps with the help of a subsidy from B&NES Council.

“There were also requests for more consultation with passengers, and a review of bus times to make the buses more useable. B&NES Council have been asked to develop a detailed transport policy that focuses on rural areas and to lobby the West of England Combined Authority to change the way bus contracts are awarded.”

Councillor Neil Butters, whose Bathavon South ward includes several small villages, said he “blamed the system” for regarding services like the 179 as “desirable rather than essential for the good of all.”

He added: “WECA Mayor, Tim Bowles, needs to devote more attention to this. Probably the biggest issue we hear about in the rural areas is ever-increasing traffic.

“His key answer seems to be more and better roads, but if we want to resist ever-worsening congestion, we really must find better ways of encouraging people out of their cars and giving them more certainty.”

Mr Freeman said last week the 179 has always been a difficult service to run because of the relatively low usage.

He added: “It is the task of the local transport authority to consider services that cannot be run commercially, and we are currently working with B&NES Council to assist them and the local community in finding a more cost-effective way of providing an effective service for the people who live along the 179 route.”

WECA, working with the constituent authorities, is developing a bus strategy to consider how the local bus network can best meet the future needs of the area. One of the key issues it will look at is how sustainable public transport can be provided to rural communities.

The 179 currently receives an £11,000 subsidy from B&NES Council to run during the week and £5,460 for a Saturday service.

Stephen Sumner, LDR