Council Steps In To Help Local Bus Passengers

Bus passengers heading to Midsomer Norton and Radstock who have to pay twice for separate bus tickets home from Bath in the evening will no longer have to fork out extra.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has reached agreement with Wessex, the operator of the evening journeys on the 178 and 179, to accept First Day tickets for travel on the evening services.

Councillor Caroline Roberts (Lib-Dem, Newbridge), the Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “I am pleased to say that the Council has stepped in and agreed a change in the contract with Wessex so that passengers are now able to use First Day tickets on the 178 and 179 evening services operated by Wessex.

“Bath & North East Somerset Council wants to make bus travel easier and this change will save passengers money and improve the choice of services they can catch in the evening.”

The Council has had a long-standing arrangement for return tickets sold on daytime First services 178 and 179 to be accepted on the equivalent evening (contracted) services operated by Wessex.

When First changed its ticketing arrangements to replace returns with Day tickets, passengers were no longer able to use them on the Wessex services.

This meant that customers who needed both services were required to purchase two single tickets, sometimes at much greater cost, or an AvonRider ticket, also at a premium cost.