Introduction
Between March 2020 and August 2021, the Department for Transport issued a temporary grant to local transport authorities to ensure local bus services continued to operate normally during the COVID-19 outbreak
The Department for Transport urged local authorities to continue to pay bus and coach operators for tendered services at the levels before any downturn in service provision or patronage, for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak, which Somerset County Council committed to do.
The local transport element of the Bus Services Support Grant was allocated to support local bus services, such as tendered bus services that experienced revenue shortfalls.
As a local transport authority, we received an allocation from the Government and have apportioned a total amount for the period between 17 March 2020 and 31 August 2021 of £644,005.95 to local bus operators in Somerset.
The grant has helped Somerset County Council to support the following bus mileage within the county during these dates.
| Service number | Start location | Finish location | Kilometres funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Taunton | Bishops Hull | 39123 |
| 5 | Babcary | Yeovil | 7139 |
| 8 | Pilton | Yeovil | 8052 |
| 10 | Minehead | Porlock | 68310 |
| 16 | Huish Episcopi | Bridgwater | 194837 |
| 19 | Shapwick | Bridgwater | 422 |
| 23 | Williton | Taunton | 50637 |
| 29 | Taunton | Wells | 278125 |
| 39 | Bruton | Yeovil | 10186 |
| 51 | Stoke St Gregory | Taunton | 87644 |
| 56 | West Coker | Yeovil | 52992 |
| 67 | Wookey Hole | Wedmore | 89796 |
| 67 | Burnham-on-Sea | Wedmore | 72238 |
| 96 | Chard | Yeovil | 201577 |
| 98 | Broadway | Taunton | 39192 |
| 99 | Chard | Taunton | 126974 |
| 162 | Frome | Shepton Mallet | 106499 |
| 184 | Frome | Midsomer Norton | 98329 |
| 198 | Minehead | Dulverton | 129375 |
| 414 | Frome | Midsomer Norton | 131197 |
| 625 | Taunton | Bridgwater College | 658 |
| 667 | Wincanton | Street | 178641 |
| 668 | Shipham | Street | 105432 |
| 669 | Shepton Mallet | Street | 136910 |
| S1/2/3 | Surrounding villages | Ilminster | 38530 |