PASSENGERS have been unable to board services in Dursley due to 'accessibility problems and unsuitable vehicles', it has been claimed.
The concerns, especially regarding the 65 route to Stroud, were raised during a meeting between Dursley councillors Bob Hughes and Helen Caton Hughes and transport campaigner David Smith, who said smaller buses were causing particular difficulties for passengers.
Cam resident Julie Sherman told councillors that people with pushchairs frequently struggle to get on the 65 bus (Dursley to Stroud ).
It is believed that problems include the 'limited space' allocated for prams, walkers or wheelchairs on the Optaire bus, which, as a 28-seater, is smaller than the double deckers used for the same route.
Mr Hughes said: “Far from ‘improvements’ people are telling us that services have declined.
"The County Council Integrated Transport Group doesn’t seem to care about anything south of Gloucester or Cheltenham, yet we need to plan ahead for local population growth.
"Some local communities only get a weekly bus.
"Some none at all, and the Robin is still not allowed to service some areas.”
Councillor Caton Hughes added that regular and reliable services were vital for commuters, the elderly, parents, children and less able travellers.
She said: “Friday, June 5 was World Environment Day, and the single most impactful thing that people can do to improve our traffic and reduce pollution, is return to public transport.
"That won’t happen until we have regular, reliable services covering the whole district. Commuters need to get to local train stations on time and parents, children, older and less able travellers all need to be able to access these bus services.”
The complaints emerge as Gloucestershire County Council conducts a public consultation under the banner 'Better connections for Gloucestershire'.
The council has received £4.8 million over two years for bus improvements and says it wants to hear from residents about how transport can be improved.
Councillor Roger Whyborn, cabinet member for sustainable transport and road safety at the county council, acknowledged the concerns.
He said: “We understand the concerns being raised locally and we are listening carefully to residents and councillors.
"All buses are required by law to meet accessibility standards, and we expect operators to comply with this so that services are inclusive for everyone.
"However, decisions about the type and size of buses used on commercial routes are taken by operators such as Stagecoach.
"We are continuing to work closely with them to raise the issues we’re hearing from communities, including around accessibility and reliability.”
Councillor Whyborn said most of the county council's bus subsidy budget supports rural services, and improvements to the Robin on-demand service are under consideration for November 2026.
He said: “We know there is more to do, and feedback like this is vital in shaping future improvements.
"Our engagement on better connections for Gloucestershire is open, and we would encourage anyone with views to take part and help us plan the future of transport across the county.”
