Residents of an estate in Batheaston have welcomed the reintroduction of a bus service thanks to rapid teamwork between Bath & North East Somerset Council and First West of England.
The regular 3A service, which connects the Elmhurst Estate with the city centre and the Royal United Hospital, had to be withdrawn at short notice in November because the road surface in Catherine Way had degraded to a point where buses could no longer grip it safely.
Not wanting to leave passengers who depend on the service stranded, First Bus and local councillors Sarah Warren and Kevin Guy alerted B&NES Council’s Highways Maintenance department and managed to have the road resurfaced in double quick time so the service could be restored before Christmas.
Rob Sanderson, Operations Manager Bath said: “We use double-deck buses as the 3a is a busy route and we need to maintain capacity even with social distancing.
“The road surface had become so bad that buses were sliding backwards down the hill.
“We were therefore delighted to have had the support of the Councillors who expedited the repair of the road so we could restore this vital service.”
Cllr Guy, representing Bathavon North and the Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “I am pleased we could get this service back on the road so quickly as many of my constituents rely on it for links to the hospital and the city centre.”