TOWN leaders are asking for a direct bus route service between Thornbury and Southmead Hospital to be introduced.

Thornbury Town councillors Benj Emmerson and Pam Shipp are leading a new campaign for a new service from Thornbury to Southmead Hospital’s front door, and a petition has been started to press for this.

Currently bus users have to change at Cribbs Causeway to get directly to Southmead Hospital but Councillor Pam Shipp, who first raised the issue several weeks ago, said that this was not a viable option for a number of people.

She said: “I know you can get a bus to Cribbs Causeway and then to Southmead which is fine if you’re young and healthy. But people who need to go to hospital don’t want extra hassle like that. And those who could drive there know that the parking arrangements at Southmead are a complete shambles.”

Councillor Benj Emmerson added: “Everywhere else in South Gloucestershire has a direct service and our petition asking for this is gaining widespread support. Why should the people of Thornbury be treated like second class citizens?”

Last year a direct service between Yate and the new £430million hospital was introduced but a direct link with Thornbury does not exist.

A spokesman for First West of England said: “There is already a direct bus service (route 78) from Thornbury to Bristol, which passes very close to Southmead Hospital, stopping on Gloucester Road. This is Service 78, It operates every 30 mins (Monday to Saturday daytime and every hour and a half during the evenings and on Sundays. Those people who would wish to catch a bus all the way into the main hospital site from Thornbury would need to catch a combination of services.

“We are not in a position to offer any alternatives to the above on a commercial basis at this present time. Instead anyone wishing to campaign for a change to the current provision would be best advised to speak to their local councillor, or the local authority’s public transport team in the first instance.”

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: “We are yet to receive a petition relating to direct bus services from Thornbury to Southmead Hospital. All petitions submitted to the council are considered carefully before any decision is made.”

Thornbury and Yate MP Steve Webb said: “I’ve been asked by a number of people to try and get a direct bus route to Southmead.

“I’ve spoken to the bus operator and they say that there’s no capacity at the hospital to accommodate another service but we have to tell them that it is their job to fix this.

“We’ve been inundated with responses and now we need to gather those, go back to the council and bus service and show them there is a demand.”

The petition is available to sign online at: www.stevewebb.org.uk/thornburybustosouthmead