B&NES Conservatives have delayed making a final decision on the closure of Pulteney Bridge for six months. This is a tacit admission that they failed to do enough research before re-routing the bus services.

This delay is the worst possible results for residents as there will be no work to improve Pulteney Bridge, yet locals are still deprived of their bus services. Bathwick’s Liberal Democrat councillor has written to the leader of the council asking that the buses are returned while they wait to make their decision.

A hundred residents attended a public meeting organised by Lib Dem campaigners Manda Rigby and Jay Risbridger. The Conservative councillor promoting the closure was invited but did not attend. The clear view of the meeting was that the consultation was inadequate and that no thought had been given to bus users. Thousands of passengers have been disadvantages by the needless re-routing of the 18 and other bus routes.

Six weeks after all buses were taken from Great Pulteney Street, a belated mitigation service is due to commence. The number 4 bus will be diverted to run up and down Great Pulteney Street on four occasions through the day. This has been rightly condemned as insultingly inadequate by local residents and Lib Dem campaigners.

“It’s clear that the Conservatives had no thought for bus passengers when they tried to close this bridge,” said Cllr Nicholas Coombes. “The replacement service is six weeks too late and derisorily infrequent. The council should start again with proper research and real public consultation and return the bus services while they do so.”