Service changes in Bristol and South Gloucestershire from Sunday 9 October 2022

7th Sep 2022Bristol

Location

Bristol and South Gloucestershire
Cause

Service Change
Responsibility

n/a
Effective

09/10/2022 - 09/10/2022

Bus operator First West of England announced service changes designed to balance customer demand with available resource to deliver reliable services for its customers into the future. The changes are a result of changing post-pandemic demand which has seen passenger numbers fall by 25 per cent compared to pre-Covid figures. The effects of this have been further impacted by acute driver shortages in the region.

The vast majority of routes in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset have been retained.

Local Transport Authorities worked with First West of England and all local operators to complete a network review to assess the viability of all routes in light of changes to travel patterns and bus use post-pandemic.

First West of England’s changes, which come into effect on 9th October, follow this review and were shared in July with Local Transport Authorities to allow the maximum time for them to consider whether alternative options were available.

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said: “The very last thing any transport operator wants to do is reduce or cut any services. We recognise the impact these changes will have on some of our communities, and we are truly sorry for those who will be affected. We’ve actively engaged with local authorities to try to keep these services running.

“We had high hopes that, as we moved beyond the pandemic and Covid restrictions, we would see a stronger recovery in bus use. Unfortunately, the world has changed more than we predicted, and we are still seeing a significantly lower level of bus use, as well as different travel patterns across our network. On top of this, like the rest of the bus industry and other sectors, we are operating against the backdrop of rising business costs and labour shortages that are particularly acute in our area.”

“Our data shows that passengers do not use these services in sufficient numbers and are unlikely to return in the future. Along with the significant driver shortages, this means we simply have no choice but to withdraw or reduce those services and ensure we focus on running buses where there are enough customers travelling.”

First West of England will continue to work with local authorities and partners to adapt services in a way that remains sustainable for the longer term, whilst seeking to provide customers with the reliability that meets their needs. This includes looking at community and Digital Demand Responsive Transport solutions which in some parts of the region may offer better and more cost-effective alternatives to meet local social needs than traditional scheduled bus services.

Services 5, 72a, 96, 178, X2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 are withdrawn. Some customers will be able to use alternative services, and two new services – Services 47 and 379 – are being introduced to cover key sections of some of the old routes; please see below for more information. Service 96 is operated by First under contract to the West of England Combined Authority. The Combined Authority have arranged a replacement service with a new operator, from 10th October 2022. The service will be taken over by Abus, with a revised timetable and slightly amended route. First Bus tickets will not be accepted, however BristolRider tickets will be accepted by both operators. Please see www.abus.co.uk for further details.
Service 47 will provide a partial replacement for many customers of Services 5, Y3 and Y5. Journeys will operate from Bristol City Centre, Lewins Mead to Yate via City Road, Ashley Road, Sussex Place, St Werburghs, Eastgate, Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Oldbury Court, Downend, Emersons Green, Pucklechurch and Westerleigh. In Yate, journeys will serve North Yate and Brimsham Park.
Service 379 will provide a replacement for the majority of customers on Service 178 and reduce journey times to and from Bristol compared to that route. Journeys will operate from Bristol Bus Station to Bath Bus Station via Wells Road, Hallatrow, Paulton, Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Peasedown St John and Odd Down. A part-replacement Service 178 running between Midsomer Norton (Old Mills) Tesco and Brislington Park & Ride has now been arranged between other operators and the West of England Combined Authority. This will be operated jointly by Abus and Citistar, and provide journeys around the extended Service 349 journeys (please see below). First tickets will not be accepted on this service but AvonRider tickets will be available and accepted on all operators' buses. Please see www.citistar.co.uk or www.abus.co.uk for further information.
Services 12 and 622 – Sunday journeys on these services are operated by First West of England under contract to the West of England Combined Authority. The contract for these journeys ended on 27th August but First West of England agreed with the Combined Authority that they could continue until Sunday 2nd October to align with the wider set of changes happening on 9th October. Due to driver shortages and the need to focus resources on parts of the network with higher customer demand, from Sunday 9th October, First West of England have not re-tendered for, and will therefore no longer operate, these journeys. From 9th October, these services will be operated by Eurocoaches, with no change to the timetables expected. First Bus tickets will not be accepted. Please see www.eurotaxis.com/eurocoaches
Service 17 – will extend from Southmead Hospital to Bristol Bus Station via Gloucester Road
Service 36 – will terminate at St Annes and no longer serve Brislington. Buses will operate a clockwise loop from Netham Lock/the Feeder Road bridge via St. Anne's Road, Wootton Road, Guildford Road, St Anne's Park Road and Newbridge Road back to the Feeder Road bridge/Netham Lock.
Service 48a – will increase in frequency from Monday 19th September for the start of the new academic year at UWE
Service 70 – daytime journeys will extend to terminate at Bristol Temple Meads Station (the same as evening journeys currently)
Service 71 – will be withdrawn and replaced with new Service 74, which will operate between UWE, Frenchay Campus and Bristol City Centre via Station Road, Filton Road, Gloucester Road and Broadmead.
Service 72 – will continue to operate, providing a replacement for most parts of withdrawn service 72a. Revised timetable. In Bristol City Centre, buses towards Temple Meads will operate after College Green via Baldwin Street, Wine Street and Union Street to The Horsefair, utilising the bus gate at Bristol Bridge. At Temple Meads Station, services will use bus stop T5 (the same stop as service 8 uses, under the station canopy). This service will therefore be operated with single deck buses.
Service 349 – one journey in each direction will extend to Midsomer Norton for students attending St Brendan’s College
Service A1 Airport Flyer – will increase in frequency to meet the demands of the flying programme at Bristol Airport
Service m3 – revised timetable across most of the day. With the start of the new academic year at UWE, the short journeys on Monday to Friday that operate between UWE, Frenchay Campus and Bristol City Centre only will resume from Monday 19th September.
Service m3x – the morning m3x journey on Monday to Friday from Emersons Green at 07.20 will be separated back into journeys at 07.15 and 07.25 following the end of the summer holidays. In response to customer demand, three m3x journeys will be introduced for the afternoon/early evening peak between Bristol City Centre and Emersons Green. This change is from Monday 19th September.
Service T1 – will now terminate at Bristol Bus Station, and no longer serve the BRI or The Centre
Service U1 will resume from Monday 19th September for the start of the new academic year at the University of Bristol
Service U3 – with the start of the new academic year at UWE, Service U3 will be reintroduced from Monday 19th September to provide late night Monday to Saturday journeys (between 0000-0400) between City Centre and UWE via the M32
Service X5 – will no longer operate between Portishead and Bristol. Customers can change to Service X4 in Portishead to continue their journey to Bristol. The service will continue to run between Portishead and Bristol, with a revised route at Weston-super-Mare to use Locking Road.
Service Y1 – will now terminate at Bristol Bus Station, and no longer serve the BRI or The Centre
Service Y6 – will extend from Southmead Hospital to Bristol Bus Station via Gloucester Road
Services 1, 2, 2a, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 19, 23, 24, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 75, 76, 90, 91, 92, U2, X1, X4, X6, X7, X9 and X39 will have timetable changes to improve punctuality and reliability, and/or changes to stopping arrangements in Bristol City Centre. Services 3 and 4 towards Union Street and Service 8 towards Temple Meads will, in the City Centre, operate after College Green via Baldwin Street and Wine Street rather than Nelson Street, utilising the bus gate at Bristol Bridge. Similarly, Services 48, 48a and 49 towards Fishponds and Service 24 towards Southmead Hospital will serve stops in Baldwin Street and Wine Street rather than Nelson Street.