Coronavirus - COVID19: Service information

Each step of the government roadmap out of lockdown brings us closer to getting back to the things we love - from the 29th March up to 6 people or 2 households are able to meet in outdoor spaces like parks and private gardens.

From 12th April salons, retail and outdoor hospitality reopen.

Social distancing and face coverings are still required.

Service changes from week commencing 11th April 2021

In response to the most recent Government COVID-19 announcement, we’ll be making some changes to our services. A summary of the changes can be viewed below.

Click here for the current Timetables: Or go to Plan a journey > Timetables

Click here for 'Forthcoming' Timetables: Or go to Plan a journey > Timetables > Forthcoming

South Essex		Sunday	Monday to Friday	Saturday
5, 5A, 5B	Pitsea to Langdon Hills or Grays	No change	No change	No change
5X	Wickford to Grays (Schooldays - Am peak only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
8, 8A	Pitsea to Laindon	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - increased to a combined 8 minute headway at busiest times in the morning and afternoon peak	No change
9	Basildon to Brentwood	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
10	Shotgate to Basildon Hospital	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
16	Wickford Stn to Runwell St Lukes	No change	No change	No change
20	Southend to Hullbridge	No change	No change	No change
21, 21B	Southend to Canvey Newlands	No change	No change	No change
21 (Bas)	Basildon to North Benfleet	:::::::::::::::::	:::::::::::::::::	No change
22	Canvey, Leigh Beck to Basildon	No change	No change	No change
25	Southend to Basildon	No change	No change	No change
26	Southchurch to Hadleigh	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
27, 27A, 27X	Southend to Canvey, Leigh Beck	No change	Additional Monday to Friday service 27 evening journeys and two additional morning service 27X journeys will be added.	No change
28	Southend to Basildon	No change	Minor revision to Monday to Friday timetable, with additional schoolday only journeys added.	No change
94, 94A	Basildon to South Woodham Ferrers	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
100	Lakeside to Chelmsford via Basildon	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, increased to every 15 minutes.	No change
251	Warley to Wickford	No change	:::::::::::::::::	:::::::::::::::::
561	Basildon to Chelmsford Schools (Students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
625	Chelmsford to Southend Schools (Students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
725, 825	Basildon to Southend Schools (Students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
820, 822, 827	Southend area schools services (Students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
X10	Basildon to Stansted Airport	No change	No change	No change
Chelmsford & Mid Essex		Sunday	Monday to Friday	Saturday
13, 13A, 14	Chelmsford to Wickford and The Wick	:::::::::::::::::	The afternoon 1553 schoolday journey from Chelmsford to opearte as service 13A	No change
31, 31B, 31C, 31D, 31X, S31	Chelmsford to Burnham-on-Crouch	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 30 minutes	No Change
32, S32	Chelmsford to Ongar	:::::::::::::::::	No change
S33	Ongar to Debden Park School	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
36, 36A, 36B	Chelmsford to South Woodham Ferrers	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 30 minutes	No change
37	Warley to Bishops Hall Estate	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes	No change
40	Channels (Chelmsford) to Boreham	:::::::::::::::::	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 30 minutes	Revised Saturday timetable - every 30 minutes
42, 42A, 42B, S42A, S42B	Galleywood to Broomfield Hopsital / Stansted Airport (42A) / Braintree (42B)	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, Galleywood to Broomfield section restored to every 10 minutes, extedning to Braintree every 30 minutes.	No change
45, 45A	Writtle to Moulsham Lodge	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes	No change
46	Chelmsford to Ongar	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
47	Oaklands Park to Broomfield Hospital	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
51	Chelmsford to Great Baddow	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
54, 54A, 54C, 56, 56A, 56B, 56C	Beaulieu Park to North Melbourne / Broomfield Hospital	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 10 minutes (54 and 56 combined)	No change
57, 57A, 57B, 57C, S57	Beaulieu to Galleywood	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable, daytime frequency restored to every 20 minutes across the full route	Revised Saturday timetable, daytime frequency restored to every 20 minutes across the full route
70	Chelmsford to Colchester via Braintree	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 30 minutes	Revised Saturday timetable - every 30 minutes
71, 71B, 71A, 71B, 71C, 71D, 71E, 71X	Chelmsford to Colchester via Witham	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - off-peak service restored to every 30 minutes	Revised Saturday timetable - daytime service 71A journeys to operate as 71
73, 73A	Chelmsford to Maldon and Heybridge	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
80A, 80C	Brentwood to Hutton Circular	No change	:::::::::::::::::	:::::::::::::::::
350, 351	Chelmsford to Brentwood	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable - every 30 minutes	Revised Saturday timetable - every 30 minutes
525	Chelmsford to Colchester Schools (students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
565	Brentwood to Herongate & Bulphan	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
570	Gt Dunmow to Colchester Schools (students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
620	Epping to Anglo European School (students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
Chelmsford Park and Ride	Sandon-Chelmer Valley Park & Ride	:::::::::::::::::	Sandon to city Park and Ride service resumes, every 15 minutes.	Sandon to city Park and Ride service resumes, every 15 minutes.
X30	Southend to Stansted Airport	Additional daily journeys between Chelmsford and Southend
Colchester & North Essex		Sunday	Monday to Friday	Saturday
1A	Greenstead to Ambrose Avenue	No change	No change	No change
2A	Highwoods to Horkesley Heath	No change	No change	No change
17	West Bergholt to Stanway School (students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
61	Highwoods to Wivenhoe	No change	Revised timetable Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes, with additional evening journeys added	Revised timetable Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes, with additional evening journeys added
62, 62B	Colchester North to Brightlingsea	No change	Revised Monday to Friday evening timetable with additional journeys	Revised Saturday evening timetable with additional journeys
64, 64A	Greenstead to Shrub End / St Michaels	No change	No change	No change
65	Highwoods to Stanway Tollgate	No change	Revised timetable Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes, with additional evening journeys added	Revised timetable Monday to Friday timetable - every 15 minutes, with additional evening journeys added
66, 66B	West Bergholt to Rowhedge	No change	Minor changes to timetable	Minor changes to timetable
67, 67B, 68	Colchester to West Mersea	No change	Minor change to Monday to Friday timetable, with an earlier journey from West Mersea	Minor changes to timetable
67C	West Mersea to Colchester Schools (students only)	:::::::::::::::::	No change	:::::::::::::::::
74B	Colchester to Clacton	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change
75, 75A	Colchester to Maldon	No change	Revised Monday to Friday timetable. Last journey from Colchester extends beyond Tiptree to Maldon	Minor changes to timetable. Last journey from Colchester extends beyond Tiptree to Maldon
76	Colchester to Clacton	No change	:::::::::::::::::	:::::::::::::::::
88, 88A, 88B	Colchester to Halstead	No change	No change	No change
102, 103, 104	Colchester to Harwich	No change	Additional Monday to Friday early morning journey from Colchester to Harwich, plus minor timing changes	No change
174/175	Colchester to Fingringhoe	:::::::::::::::::	No change	No change

Download Service Change Summary

We’ve got each stage of your journey covered so that you can arrive safely at your destination.

Before you travel

Use the First Bus App to journey plan and buy your ticket
Use our Space Checker tool to find when your bus is less busy
Please bring a face covering as it is mandatory to wear onboard at all times, unless you are exempt. Click here for exemptions
Social distancing limits the bus capacity to 50%, so please allow additional time for your journey during peak times
Bring hand sanitiser
We encourage our customers to download the NHS COVID19 App

At the bus stop

Use the First Bus App to track where your bus is and the number of free seats available
Please social distance from other passengers waiting too.
Put on your face covering before you board the bus, it is a legal requirement unless you are exempt
When your bus arrives, please allow space for passengers to leave the bus before you step onboard
Get you payment method ready – mTicket on the First Bus App , contactless card, concessionary pass or the exact change

On board

We encourage customers to make cashless payments to avoid cash handling
It is a legal requirement to wear a face covering, unless you are exempt otherwise you could be fined up to £200.
Please follow the social distancing sashes to show you where to sit
Our windows need to remain open to maintain airflow
To assist others less mobile, please sit upstairs on double deckers
We have increased our cleaning regime, but please help by not eating or drinking on board and remove any rubbish when you leave

We’re here for you

Contact us by phone 0345 646 0707 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) or contact us via Twitter @FirstEssex (7am to 7pm Monday to Friday or 9am to 5pm on weekends and bank holidays).

NHS Test & Trace App

Supporting the national effort with the NHS Test & Trace App:

We would like to encourage all passengers travelling with us to download the NHS Covid-19 Track and Trace app. Anyone aged 16 or over who lives in England or Wales can use the app. The app allows you to report symptoms, order a Coronavirus test and check into venues.

How do I access them?

Both of these apps are designed to help us protect each other and reduce the spread of coronavirus.

The England and Wales NHS COVID-19 app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play.

Safety Measures on First Buses

Please watch our videos for information and advice for travelling on the bus during the coronavirus situation:
	Travel safely on our buses: Video ⇒
	Face coverings: Video ⇒
	First Bus App: Know where your bus is and how many seats are available: Video ⇒

For important extra information please see here:
Face coverings information ⇒	Guidance from First Bus about who does and does not need to wear a face covering on our buses, and the rules that apply.
Government guidance ⇒	Official UK government coronavirus guidance and support page. Comprehensive guidance on living in the UK during the coronavirus outbreak, with guidance, support, statistics and announcements.
Risk Assessment ⇒	First Bus Covid 19 Risk assessment

Coronavirus - COVID19: Service information

Service changes from week commencing 11th April 2021

NHS Test & Trace App

Safety Measures on First Buses

For important extra information please see here:

Current issues

Planned changes

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