Buses of Somerset has begun work to electrify its Taunton and Minehead depots, ready to operate 26 brand new electric buses from Spring 2025.
The works will create electric vehicle charging infrastructure as well as upgrading the bus depots in Taunton and Minehead.
Once complete, the electric ready depots will enable a fleet of 26 double and single decker electric buses to run across Buses of Somerset’s routes, bringing cleaner, greener travel for local people.
Local bus operator, Buses of Somerset is launching Tap on Tap off (TOTO) technology across its routes in Somerset to provide customers with easy contactless payments.
From Sunday 1 December, customers traveling on Buses of Somerset routes in Somerset will be able to use their contactless device - bank card, smartphone or smartwatch - to pay for travel. The technology will also launch for First Wessex bus routes in neighbouring Dorset.
Local bus operator First Wessex is launching Tap on Tap off (TOTO) technology across its routes in Dorset to provide customers with easy contactless payments.
From Sunday 1 December, customers traveling on First Wessex routes in Dorset will be able to use their contactless device - bank card, smartphone or smartwatch - to pay for travel. The technology will also launch for Buses of Somerset bus routes in neighbouring Somerset.
The special ‘5 for £5’ return ticket, will be valid for any five people of any age going to the panto performances at Kings Theatre over the Christmas period, making getting there by bus only £1 return per person.
Theatre goers will be able to purchase the ticket directly from the driver, two hours before the start of the performance and it will be valid for two hours after the curtain closes.
First West of England is about to launch its first Poetry Bus, which showcases work by budding poets at St Dunstan’s School in Glastonbury and design students and staff from Strode College in Street.
Over the past few weeks, year seven and eight pupils have been working with Somerset writer Thommie Gillow to create short pieces of poetry inspired by a wide range of subjects from mental health and the environment to everyday issues and nature.
First Worcester has announced that services 38 and X38 (Worcestershire Royal Hospital to Worcester Bus Station) will now also operate on Sundays, connecting the hospital with the wider Worcester network, with hourly services between 9am and 6pm.
A host of improvements to the company’s bus routes in south and west Wales will see some services restored, extra journeys added and routes extended from 1st September.
In Swansea, service 2A (Swansea to Bracelet Bay) will be extended to provide an hourly Sunday service to Newton, while in Neath Port Talbot service X3 will be extended to Sunnycroft Roundabout via Dinas Baglan Road, resulting in a service being restored to the Baglan area.
Other changes include:
Thirty-eight-year-old Daryl Jones, who has been with First Cymru for almost 10 years and is based at the company’s Ravenhill depot in Swansea, was named the best competitor from a depot in Wales at the bus industry’s prestigious UK Bus Driver of the Year contest. The title also clinched him a £100 prize.
Suicide Prevention UK (SPUK), which is based in Bristol but offers a national helpline, says since its new project with First West of England launched in January - aimed at spotting the signs of suicide among passengers - an increasing number of callers mention buses when phoning for help.