WELLS has been ranked among the cities with the fewest transport connections in the UK, according to a new study.

The analysis by transportation company CMAC Group places Wells in the seventh position from the bottom, between university city Bangor and Peterborough.

The study says the Somerset city has only 85 bus stops and no train station.

St David’s, the UK’s smallest city, was found to have the worst transport connectivity, while London was listed as the best with over 17,000 connections.

Examining data from the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NPTAN), CMAC assessed the number of bus and coach stops, train stations and other transportation hubs in each city. 

The study highlights a significant challenge for Wells as Peter Slater, CEO of CMAC Group, emphasised the need for policymakers in the underperforming cities to prioritise investments in public transit infrastructure. 

He said: “There’s a clear challenge faced by residents and commuters in cities with inadequate public transit infrastructure, leaving them to face long wait times and limited connectivity, impacting their ability to access employment and education opportunities, and essential services.”

Local officials in Wells have been striving to maintain and improve the city’s bus services.

Earlier this year, the 126 bus route between Wells and Weston-super-Mare, which was discontinued in October 2022, was reinstated. However, the future of this route remains uncertain. 

Hannah Young, North Somerset Council's executive member for highways and transport, emphasised the precarious nature of the situation.

She said: "Use it or lose it, as we have no certainty of future funding for this route."

Despite its transport challenges, Wells has earned recognition for its overall quality of life.

The Telegraph recently named Wells as the second-best city in the UK and awarded it a spot in the top 10 category for transport.

This ranking took into account factors such as the distance from the city to a major airport and train times to London, assigning bonus points to cities with direct rail links to the capital and metro systems.