FIRST Bus has apologised for problems with its service between Wellington and Taunton after Gideon Amos MP raised the issue in Parliament.

Wellington Town Council also agreed to seek a meeting with the company after hearing a number of complaints at a recent meeting.

Mr Amos spoke out in the Commons on Thursday (January 9), and said: “Tara and Keith in my constituency have written to me about the appalling one-hour delays on the First Bus 22 bus service.

“Lessons are being missed and a gentleman in my constituency missed a serious operation because of the appalling service.

“Will the Leader of the House arrange time to debate public transport in Somerset, including the need to reopen Wellington station on the same route as the 22 bus service?”

In reply, Leader of the House, Lucy Powell, said: “I am sorry to hear of the delays that Tara and Keith have suffered from poor bus services in the Honourable Member’s constituency.

“I think that people can recognise the situation he describes, especially in our rural communities.

“That is why we have brought forward the Bus Service Reform Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords, and it is why we are putting extra investment into buses - so that local communities such as his, can have a reliable and affordable bus service.”

A spokesperson for First Bus said in a statement: “We’d like to apologise to our customers for the recent disruption to our 22 service. Reliability is our priority and we’re sorry for letting our passengers down.

“Delays and cancellations can be for a number of different reasons, some of which are not always within our control, such as roadworks and diversions.

“Unfortunately, in this case, the route has also recently been affected by roadworks and temporary traffic lights between Rumwell and Sheppy’s Cider Farm, resulting in severe delays.

“Wherever we can, we’re working hard to ensure we’re putting improvements in place to avoid further service issues.

“Working with Somerset Council, local councillors, and the Somerset Bus Partnership we’re also listening to feedback from the community to help inform our next network changes for April.

“These changes will introduce punctuality improvements across the network, including the 22 service.”

The spokesperson added: “First Bus is already in dialogue with Gideon and we are meeting with him in February”

Mr Amos reacted to the First Bus statement saying: "The Taunton-Wellington route is this part of Somerset's flagship bus service and could be building passenger numbers significantly.

“The 22 service is appalling in its reliability – too often the bus tracker app shows no buses at all on the route despite the fact that timetables promise at least three buses running each way every hour.

“I strongly support Wellington Town Council's request to meet First and I will also be looking for improvements, especially given the amount of local taxpayers' money paid to First to subsidise the evening services on the route.”

First Bus is one of the largest regional bus operators in the UK, with more than 1.1m passenger journeys daily in 2023/24.