COUNCILLORS have called on South Gloucestershire Council to improve bus provision in Falfield.

A reduction in the number of bus services stopping in Falfield has caused a number of problems for residents of the village as well as visitors and inmates of HMP Eastwood Park.

A joint letter sent on behalf of Falfield Parish Council and the governor of the prison asked the council to review and reintroduce some of the lost services as well as diverting the 88 service to bus stops in safer locations with shelters as well as to re-establish links to Thornbury, Charfield and Wotton-under-Edge.

As part of a shake-up of bus services in November 2014, the number of bus routes passing through the village was reduced causing problems particularly for elderly residents and visitors to Eastwood Park prison.

In a letter sent to South Gloucestershire Council on behalf of Falfield parish councillors and Eastwood Park prison Falfield Parish Council clerk Dawn Bramley wrote: “Although the 311 service was replaced with the 87 service, this bus service only runs through the parish to facilitate Katherine Lady Berkeley School, otherwise it runs via Tytherington and Cromhall.

“Thus anyone wishing to connect in Thornbury for the 78/79 bus services to Cribbs Causeway, Filton College or the Bristol bus station now has to rely on the limited 207 service, which has limited frequency and does not stop at the Thornbury health centre, where the 78/79 service departs from.

“For passengers not familiar with the area or older passengers finding or reaching the connecting bus stop may prove to be extremely difficult. The link to Charfield and Wotton-under-Edge, the 311 service has also been completely lost.”

Cllr O’Neill said that this presents a problem for visitors to Eastwood Park prison with the arrival of the bus clashing with visiting times.

“There is a further 88 service between Dursley and Bristol, which does not serve Thornbury, and this can only be caught from Tortworth Rd or the Gables Hotel. There is no signposting to these stops, nor any shelters.

“The Tortworth Rd stop is particularly problematic as there is no footpath to get to it – only a grass verge that takes you close to a busy motorway junction. We would like to see the 88 diverted so that it comes into the village and uses the sheltered stops that already exist.”

Cllr O’Neill concluded: “I have asked the council’s transport committee to look into what can be done to alleviate these problems and I will report back on any progress.”

A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said: "We always look at ways to improve local bus services within the available funding, and work with operators when we identify an opportunity.

"The majority of the buses to Falfield (309/310/311 - now 78/9 and 87) were commercially operated services, the 88 service is supported by Gloucestershire County Council.

"The stops on Tortworth Road were removed when the nearby junction was re-aligned, however we are working to re-establish new stops which will provide safe access to the bus service."