The Government has just announced a U-turn that will provide additional funding for buses.

The eleventh-hour change of direction by the Government will see Covid emergency funding extended for a further six months which bus companies can use to run services when money from fares does not cover running costs.

This could mean that the 126 bus service between Wells and Weston-super-Mare, that had been earmarked for the chop in October, might be granted a reprieve ­– at least temporarily. However, First have previously said that the loss of Government funding is only part of the reason for the planned service reductions, citing driver shortages as part of the problem.

The announcement of the proposed cuts to the 126 service prompted outrage, and thousands of people have signed petitions in a bid to convince First to rethink their plans.

But MP James Heappey says that the onus is with Somerset County Council to step in and save the service.

In a Facebook live post, Mr Heappey (who has organised a petition himself) said he had had a meeting with First Bus today (Friday, August 19), and made an impassioned plea to residents to put pressure on the County Council to step in to save the service.

He said: "First Bus have already given notice. They have effectively resigned the route. The County Council have a couple of weeks to work out if they can save it in some way – either though subsidy or by finding another provider.

"First Bus say that the 126 is making a loss of £500,000 per annum. They tell me the average fare is £1.60, which would mean a extra 320,000 people a year using the service to make it financially viable, and they say it's not the kind of turnaround they have ever seen before. The only way it will survive is by councils subsidising the route.

"Grant Schapps has today announced that he is extending the recovery grant which means that the Government has now given the county council more money so now we need them to decide if they are subsidising this route.

"There will still be challenges, because First have now allocated the drivers and buses elsewhere, but it is now in the hands of the county council."

"Put pressure on your county councillors. It is in the hands of the County Council."

Mr Heappey also warned that although the 173 between Wells and Bath had avoided the axe, it's future is not completely secure, and that if it's not used enough in the next six months First may look again at axing the route."

A spokesperson for First West of England said: "First Bus welcomes today's announcement of the six month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant, as helpful support in meeting our customers' needs over the short term. "We recognise that travel patterns have changed since the pandemic, and we will continue to work with our local authority colleagues to adapt our services in a way that remains sustainable for the longer term, whilst seeking to provide customers with the reliability that meets their needs."

Somerset County Council have been contacted for comment.

Watch the Facebook Live here