Service changes in North Somerset and Somerset from Sunday 9 October 2022

7th Sep 2022North Somerset

Location

North Somerset and Somerset
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 126 and X2 will be withdrawn. A part-replacement for Service 126, running between Axbridge and Wells, has now been announced by Somerset County Council. This will be operated by Libra Travel. Please see the Somerset County Council website here. The new timetable is available to view on Libra Travel's website www.libratravel.co.uk.
Services 1 and 20 – will have their normal changes for the winter, with reduced frequencies and, no Sunday service after 30th October
Service 7 – will additionally serve Weston General Hospital between Coronation Estate and Oldmixon. Revised timetable to improve punctuality.
Service X5 – will no longer operate between Portishead and Bristol, instead operating from Weston-super-Mare to Portishead via Clevedon. The Portishead section of route will cover Sainsbury's and The Triangle in a loop. Between Weston-super-Mare and Worle, the service will use Locking Road.
Services A3, X1, X4, X6, X7 and X9 will have minor timetable changes to improve punctuality and reliability. At Clevedon, all X6s will terminate at Six Ways, with daytime X7 journeys serving Dial Hill/Edward Road in place of the X6.