Measures to speed up bus journey times through Taunton town centre will be "imminently" implemented on a trial basis, Somerset Council has confirmed.
The council's bus service improvement plan (BSIP) included a commitment to speeding up bus times between the town centre and residential areas on Taunton's perimeter, thereby encouraging more people to use public transport to access school, work and local services.
The plan envisions the creation of 'greenwaves' on key routes into the town from the west, north and east, with buses being given priority through subtle upgrades to the existing traffic signal network rather than spending millions of pounds on new bus lanes.
To this end, the council carried out upgrades to numerous lights along the A38 East Reach in April and May 2025, dovetailing with improvement works at the crucial Hurdle Way junction to the west.
The council has now confirmed that a trial of these improved signals (which change to allow buses through quicker) will be rolled out "imminently" - and the trial could inform how similar measures are implemented in other towns across the county.
David Northey from the Somerset Bus Partnership raised this issue when the executive committee met in Taunton on Wednesday (March 11) - with his question being read aloud by counterpart Barrie Childs.
They asked: "The draft plan commits to reviewing traffic signals and introducing bus priority at 'operational pinch points' from 2027, yet it identifies no specific junctions, no funding allocation and no engagement with stakeholders such as the Somerset Bus Partnership.
"Given that well-known congestion corridors already exist on routes used by high-frequency buses - such as Wellington Road, East Reach, Priorswood Road and key junctions around Taunton town centre - can the council state which locations have actually been identified for bus priority upgrades, what funding has been committed to deliver them, and why these measures are not being implemented sooner if improving bus reliability is genuinely a priority?"
The council's new local transport plan commits to providing £550,000 for further signal improvements from April 2027 - though the locations where this funding will be targeted has not been specified.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, replied: "We're currently analysing data from bus operators, with a view to testing the bus priority measures on 'greenwaves east' imminently.
"The outcome of this will then inform the development of further bus priority schemes.
"To be clear, once we've got the data and analysed it, we can then move forward, and we are always keen to hear your views on this."
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'Greenwaves east' covers the eastern approach to the town centre, including the A38 East Reach and the A3027 East Street.
'Greenwaves west' from the A38 Wellington Road near the newly-opened 'park and bus' facility at Orchard Grove to the Tangier area and the new £3.2m transport hub currently being constructed on Tower Street.
'Greenwaves north' covers the A3038 Station Road between the junction with the A3027 Staplegrove Road and the junction with Whitehall - with traffic signals being improved on Bridge Street, Priory Bridge Road, Station Road and Tangier Way.
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