Coming up on Friday (January 26) the second reading in parliament of a law to provide basic service levels of transport in rural areas.

Some parts of Somerset are, it has been argued, becoming islands; with little or no provision of buses or any other means of transport, to get residents into medical appointments or for younger constituents, to schools and colleges.

The Frome MP Sarah Dyke introduced the bill back in December.

The Rural Transport Bill aims to: " Set minimum service levels for the provision of public transport in rural areas, including for access to sites of employment and education; and for connected purposes. "

On introducing the bill Sarah Dyke MP said: " Many of my constituents rely on public transport to get to nearby towns and cities for education and employment and they need to know those vital links will always be there."

The bill has a long way to go, it needs to to a committee stage, onto a report stage and then onto a third reading, all before the election is called.

Although getting around in Somerset by bus is particularly hard according to one transport the lack of bus services is nationwide.

It has been estimated that in 2002 there were just over 18,000 numbered bus routes in England, today there are just under 11,000.

Added to this there is the aging population of Somerset as a county. According to the research site Somerset Intelligence,

• Between 1984 and 2014, the number of people aged 85 or older in Somerset has increased by 170% to an estimated 18,100.
• The number of people aged 75 or more is projected to double in the next two decades.The fastest-growing group are men aged 80 or more.