A COUNCILLOR believes the only way Wellington Town Council can help sort out much-criticised bus services in the area is by writing out a large cheque.

A number of people attended the town council’s monthly meeting on January 6 to talk about their unhappiness at the current state of bus services between Taunton and Wellington.

They told councillors they had been consistently let down by buses which were late or simply did not turn up ensuring they were running behind for work or missing important hospital appointments.

“The bus services are disgusting – they’re shocking,” said one person. “Something really needs to be done about it.”

Another said: “It’s a woeful service at the moment.”

While another said: “Buses don’t turn up on time in the morning and it means I’m late for work.”

Cllr Keith Wheatley feels strongly that something does need to happen to improve a service which is losing so much credibility.

He said: “There are times when I have been at a bus stop in Taunton or Wellington where I’ve seen other passengers feeling stranded, let down and almost in tears because they are going to miss an appointment.

“You can go on an app and see where the buses are. But I’ve looked in the past and at peak times there is not a single bus on the road between Wellington and Taunton.

“I looked today just after 5pm and there was just one bus coming this way and one bus going northbound towards Taunton.

“It’s just simply nothing close to being good enough. We’re not looking for a miracle, but we just want some sort of service.”

Somerset Council helps with funding evening buses between Wellington and Taunton and Cllr Wheatley has asked if it could do to ensure better services.

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: “Getting improved bus services in Wellington are more important, in my opinion, than Wellington getting a railway station.”

Cllr Andy Govier added: “Having a good bus service between here and Taunton is very important for the town – we want more people using the buses.”

Cllr Govier said it was a matter of urgency to invite a representative of the First Bus group to attend a future council meeting.

Cllr Ross Henley said: “The advertised bus times look very attractive and probably the envy of many other towns.

“But if you promote a service and then don’t deliver it – it’s worse than not having a service at all.

“People are losing confidence and it is difficult for the commercial operators (First Bus) to get that confidence back.

“We cannot go on like this and people just won’t bother with buses and will look for alternative transport.”

The town council has a small working group looking at what can be done to improve the situation and it will be bringing forward a report and possible recommendations at a later date.

But Cllr Justin Cole said: “If you really want to make a change and make a difference you need to come with a cheque book and be prepared to write out a big figure.”