Focus of work
The Somerset Bus Partnership provides a platform for both current and new bus users in Somerset to make their views heard about the bus services they need.
FIT supported the partnership’s two-year ‘Catch The Bus Campaign’ across Somerset, which aimed to encourage more people to take the bus and make them aware of options to travel via bus in Somerset.
Campaign activities included:
- Attending food fares, farmers’ markets and local council events to promote bus travel.
- Staffing 25 bus information stalls across Somerset.
- Printing and displaying materials that informed the public about fare caps and bus routes.
- Designed, reconfigured and printed bus timetables for those who could not access information online.
Impact
Through the many conversations the partnership’s volunteers had with local people, it was clear that the campaign had been of great help to many.
One person told of how lost she had been when the 126 Weston to Wells bus was cancelled by First West of England in October 2022, and how much she had benefitted financially and emotionally when, with the group’s support and lobbying, the bus was reinstated.
Another person with glaucoma told of how much he appreciated the black and white printed timetable as he could use his magnifying glass to follow the lines of the bus route and plan where he needs to get off.