People in North East Somerset face being "cut off from everything" as crucial bus routes are being cut.

Some villages, like Timsbury, would lose almost all their bus services under the planned cuts. 

People living in villages in North East Somerset have raised concerns that they will not be able to get to work, school, and hospital appointments. One woman, who cannot drive due to epilepsy, said she relies on the buses to care for her disabled mother in Midsomer Norton.

Almost 300 people have signed a petition against the bus cuts in the area.

42 supported bus services are being cut across the West of England, as three council areas who make up the combined authority squabble with the Metro Mayor Dan Norris about who should pay for them.

19 supported services in North East Somerset will be cut, with 15 going in April and another 5 being funded until June.

Supported services are bus routes which are not commercially viable for the bus companies to run, but which local authorities pay to keep running. But as costs have risen more than councils are prepared to raise their funding, these are being cut.

Bath and North East Somerset Council chose to protect all buses in the city of Bath while cutting rural services in North East Somerset.

The move came days after council leader Kevin Guy told John Darvell on BBC Radio Bristol that he would not cut any buses in Bath and North East Somerset. He later told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I should have said Bath."

Timsbury is currently served by five buses but, from June, it will be served by one: the 349, which stops just outside the village.

Katie Traw, who lives in Timsbury with her two-year-old daughter said: "We are being cut off from everything: baby and toddler groups, the closest towns, friends and family. For those of us who can't drive and have small children it means losing the ability to socialise with other mums and little ones at the groups run outside the village."

She added: "We've already had the 178 reduced and now you can't get to Radstock or Bristol on one bus from Timsbury."

Bus company First had cancelled the 178 service last year to dismay from locals who feared they would not be able to get to their jobs. But the Metro Mayor intervened to support it, contracting bus companies Citistar and Abus to take over.

Now the route is one of several being withdrawn from April.

Abus, an independent bus company based in Bristol, are losing half of their bus routes in the cuts but owner Alan Peters said he "should be retired anyway."

He said: "For me personally, it's not the end of the world. For the passengers […] is."

Lucy Peters lives in Paulton and relies on the 82 bus to get around, which is one of the services being cut from June. She said: "Myself holds a disabled bus pass as I can not drive due to epilepsy, so I require help to get to and from Tesco Midsomer Norton high street to do my shopping in the week, and go to and from Bath or Bristol in weekends for appointments at hospitals."

She added: "My disabled mother has just moved to midsomer Norton and also relies on bus services to get out and about, and me to go over and help care for her."

Kate Cook from Farmborough said: "I would rather use the bus to travel but the service has been cut back so many times it became impossible to rely on it. If you live in the surrounding villages there is no option but to use a car — if you have access to one."

One person without access to a car is Lauren Curtis, who lives in Paulton. She said: "My 11 year old Son uses the 82 bus every weekday to get to school. I also use it regularly to get to Radstock and Midsomer Norton as it's way more reliable than the 379."

She said she was "fed up" with having to fight for bus services.

But people are fighting for their bus services nonetheless. Anne Watson, who lives near Prison, set up a petition calling for some of the bus services to be saved.

She said: "I launched the petition out of frustration for the lack of understanding and empathy for those living rurally. We currently face a pandemic of loneliness and cutting scheduled bus services will add to this, immeasurably."

Just under 300 people have signed the petition so far but Ms Watson said it would be "amazing" to get 2,000 signatures.

A new "WEST Link" service of on-demand minivans, known as demand responsive transport, is being rolled out in North East Somerset, as well as other parts of the West of England by the Metro Mayor.

Bath and North East Somerset Council argued that with the West of England funding the scheme in North East Somerset but not in Bath, they had to focus on the city.

Council leader Kevin Guy said in a letter to Mr Norris: "We in [Bath and North East Somerset] have committed to spending additional funds from our budgets to ensure as comprehensive a network as possible, as well as the continuation of five services within [North East] Somerset to support our communities as they transition across to the new demand responsive transport system."

But Mr Norris has said that councils should keep funding supported services and stressed that the system is "not a replacement for supported buses."

For some people in North East Somerset, it will be their only option.

The supported bus services being cut in North East Somerset are, from April:

• 22   Twerton – University of Bath (in the school holidays)
• 178  Midsomer Norton – Brislington Park & Ride
• 185  Paulton – Trowbridge
• 636  Whitchurch – Keynsham
• 640  Bishop Sutton – Keynsham
• 663  Somerdale – Chandag Road
• 664  Somerdale – Saltford
• 665  Somerdale – Longmeadow Road
• 668  Peasedown St John – Bristol
• 683  Keynsham – Wells
• 684  Wick to Keynsham
• 752  Hinton Blewett – Bath
• 754  Hinton Blewett – Radstock
• 757  Combe Hay – Midsomer Norton

From June, the following bus services will also no longer run:

• 82   Paulton – Midsomer Norton – Radstock
• 172  Bath – Paulton 
• 179  Midsomer Norton – Bath
• 672  Blagdon – Bristol
• 768  Midsomer Norton – Bath

Bus routes run on a commercial basis will continue to run.