1. We have just launched the Great Big Bus Survey. This is a detailed questionnaire allowing us to see what has changed in terms of travel needs and habits since our last survey in 2021. It is crucial that we get as full a return as we can from as many people as we can so we can make a case for retaining these services beyond March 2026, when the present funding runs out. We know it will take people a bit of time to complete, so there is an added incentive of a prize draw for surveys received if people chose to leave an email. The winner will get a voucher for £30 to spend in the newly acquired community pub The Waldegrave in East Harptree.
Students at Chew Valley School will also be able to enter their house name and get a point towards a school house competition.
We recommend people fill it in on a computer or laptop but you can also complete it on a tablet or phone.
2. Bus Café happening on Saturday 15th March: all welcome
3. Changes to services from April.
The X91 Chew Valley Sprint will become an ‘all stops’ service from Monday April 6th. What this means is it can be hailed or you can get off at any stop it passes on its journey through Ubley, Compton Martin, West Harptree, East Harptree, Bishop Sutton, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna and will now be able to stop at MaidenHead bus stop (Dundry) before heading to Imperial Park. Unfortunately because of non-compete clauses it can’t stop at every stop after this but will continue to be able to stop at Parson Street, Temple Meads, Haymarket (near Primark) and Broad Quay (near the Watershed and on the other side of the centre to the Hippodrome). We hope this will enable many more people to get on board.
The route is also changing slightly to help the service use another bus lane and adding in a drop off stop in Redcliffe on the way into town.
The 99 is having an additional return journey added to its Friday and Saturday evening service from April 7th which we hope will make it even more useful for getting around the valley and to connect to services on the A37 at Pensford. The full timetable is as follows:
4. Leaflet Distribution
The leaflet for the 99 will be updated from April to include the new evening return journey and we would like to get it out into every household in every village the bus passes through, but our volunteers are already very busy. If anyone is able to help with door to door leaflet distribution on the street where they live within your parish this would be extremely helpful. Please do get in touch if you can offer to help.