John O’Neill, Liberal Democrat councillor for Charfield ward, has called for the restoration of a bus service from Falfield to Thornbury, after the cancellation of the 311 service late last year.  

John said: “Falfield is now effectively served only by the 207 service from Thornbury to Dursley but this is of limited use and fails to meet the needs of those working in Falfield or Thornbury. The 87 which replaced the 311 service is now only routed via Falfield for the school run in the morning to Thornbury and the return journey in the afternoon to Falfield.

“This presents a significant problem for visitors to Eastwood Park women’s prison, just outside the village. Visitor time finishes at 4.30pm but the revised bus timetable could limit the amount of time visitors are able to spend. This is particularly sad in the case of children visiting their mothers. It also presents a problem for women leaving prison having served their time, who can now find themselves stranded and waiting for a bus for many hours.

“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.”

John 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.”

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