MP Anna Sabine has launched a campaign calling for stronger national protections for rural bus services.

With less than two month’s notice, First Bus has decided to withdraw the popular 174 bus service which links Wells and Bath, after 5pm. The changes would take effect from April 1.

Anna Sabine, MP for Frome and East Somerset, has launched a new campaign calling for stronger national protections for rural bus services.

She says bus services in rural and market-town communities are a lifeline, enabling access to education, employment, healthcare and essential daily services. Yet across the country, these services are increasingly being reduced or withdrawn, leaving communities isolated and with few realistic alternatives.

Recent proposals to cut evening services on the 174 route, which links Wells and Bath via Peasedown St John, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Oakhill and Stratton on the Fosse, have highlighted the wider issue.

Residents have reported repeated cancellations, overcrowding and unreliable timetables.

In an exclusive for the Journal, the MP for Frome and East Somerset, writes: “Buses in rural areas are not a luxury or an optional extra. They are a lifeline.

“They allow people to live their lives, to get to school and college, to work, to medical appointments, to the shops, and to see friends and family. In rural and semi-rural communities like ours, buses are essential infrastructure, and their importance cannot be overstated.

“Yet across the country, funding for public transport is being squeezed, and market towns like Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Oakhill and Peasedown St John are paying the price. When Government does step in, support is too often focused on large cities such as Bristol.

“For many residents in our area, that misses the point entirely. If you can’t get to a neighbouring town for work, education or the weekly shop, improved links to a city miles away are meaningless.

“As services are cut, people are pushed into relying on cars, not out of choice, but out of necessity. But with the cost of living rising and vehicle ownership becoming increasingly expensive, not everyone can afford that option.

“The question then becomes stark: what happens to those who can’t drive or can’t afford a car? Are they simply left behind?

“That is why the proposed cuts to the 174 bus route are so concerning. This service, running from Wells to Bath and serving communities including Peasedown St John, Midsomer Norton, Stratton on the Fosse and Oakhill, is a vital link for thousands of residents.

“After years of reductions, people are already experiencing unreliable and overcrowded services. I have heard from residents who tell me that two out of three buses are cancelled, leaving the remaining service so full it cannot even stop. Others speak of buses that simply never arrive. This is not an acceptable standard of service for any community.

“These problems are not just about one route or one operator, such as First Bus. They point to a wider failure in how bus services are regulated, funded and protected, particularly in rural and market-town areas.

“That is why I am launching a petition calling on Government and regulators to step in. My petition demands stronger national rules to prevent vital bus services being cut without proper oversight, transparency and accountability.

“It calls for a review of whether current funding arrangements are really working for communities like ours, and for a long-term approach that puts passengers and local economies first. If we are serious about supporting rural economies, cutting off access to work, education and services cannot be the answer.

“Please take a moment to sign the petition and to complete the survey on my website. Together, we can demand better for our residents and for the essential local services our communities rely on.”

The petition can be found at: https://www.anna4fes.uk/campaigns/save-the-174-evening-bus-service