Somerset buses: £1 fares come into force in parts of county

A new £1 bus fare has come into force in parts of Somerset.

The county council brought in the reduced fee at the start of September on the Taunton Park and Ride service.

It plans for the £1 fare to be extended to other routes in Taunton later in the autumn. Operators are finalising the fare zones.

"We want to protect as many routes as we can and by getting more people on to buses we can support that aim," said county councillor Mike Rigby.

Somerset County Council, in association with the Somerset Bus Partnership, launched their Bus It campaign at the end of August.

The initiative aims to encourage people to use buses in order to save money, safeguard the county's bus services and protect the environment.

"We are delighted to be able to introduce this new £1 fare," said Mr Rigby, the authority's executive lead member for transport and digital.

"It's vital as part of preserving bus services in Somerset that we deliver more choice and cheaper fares for people."

He added they were also looking at bringing in some new evening and weekend services and additional services in response to demand and hoped to update passengers soon.

Mr Rigby said support grants introduced by the government to maintain services during the pandemic were ending which had led to operators proposing cuts and changes "due to continuing low patronage".

However, the council hoped cheaper fares would lead to more passengers and protect routes.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]