Hundreds call for improvements to 97/98 bus
More than 750 people are calling for improvements to the 97/98 bus service which links Churchdown and Innsworth with Cheltenham and Gloucester.
A petition calling on Stagecoach to undertake a full review of the service and investigate the reliability issues on the service was presented at Shire Hall.
Gloucestershire County Councillor Stewart Dove, who represents Churchdown and Innsworth, set up the petition alongside Sarah Hands who represents Innsworth at Tewkesbury Borough Council and Highnam at Shire Hall.
They believes residents deserve better and the petition calls for the bus company to work with council officers to ensure it meets the needs of our community with particular attention to the Cheltenham connections. And to make effective and sustainable changes to deliver a reliable service.
“We’ve been increasingly concerned about the state of our local public transport, specifically the 97/98 Stagecoach bus service,” the Liberal Democrat councillors say in the petition.
“The reliability of this essential service has seriously declined, causing significant inconvenience, especially for morning journeys to school and work.
“Our community depends on this service to provide consistent and reliable transportation, and too often buses are not arriving to take children to school… leaving them stranded.
“In September 2025, changes were made to the route to and from Cheltenham which have lengthened the journey times considerably, which is causing annoyance and inconvenience for travellers on a daily basis. These changes were implemented without prior consultation with the community.
“It’s crucial that our transportation system works for everyone, and in its current state, that’s simply not happening.”
He goes on to say in the petition that it is “time for action”.
“By improving the 97/98 Stagecoach bus service, we can ensure it adequately serves the community’s travel needs, offering peace of mind and reliability for school and work journeys and other essential travellers,” the petition said.
Stagecoach has been approached for comment.