Bus operator First West of England has announced a significant increase in the number of buses operating in the region from Sunday 2nd April. The changes will add over three thousand hours of bus journeys to routes across the region every week.
The operator’s buses will travel over a million and a half extra miles every year to give people more opportunities to travel sustainably. As part of this, First West of England will be reinstating over one thousand six hundred hours of buses in Bristol every week, following the temporary suspension of some journeys in November due to driver shortages.
The increased frequencies and punctuality improvements represent a significant investment from First West of England in service improvements. In addition, the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council are contributing extensive Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding to enhance a number of key routes across the region. The combined package includes additional buses into Bristol City Centre from Kingswood, Downend, Staple Hill, Whitchurch and Keynsham; Thornbury and Bristol City Centre; Twerton and Bath City Centre; and between Midsomer Norton and Bath City Centre.
Despite the improvements to many services, passenger numbers are still down by around 20% on pre-pandemic levels and although many services are showing good growth, a very small number have shown no signs of attracting sufficient users to cover their costs. As a result, services 23, 47 and 91 will no longer operate from Sunday 2nd April.
Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said: “These new timetables will significantly increase the service we offer our customers and I’m confident that our investment in new technology will also continue to improve punctuality. We will also be reinstating journeys in Bristol that we had to temporarily suspend last year, as we are starting to see the effect of our major driver recruitment and retention campaign."
"We’re delighted that the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council's successful BSIP award means significant investment in a number of important routes, which together with our own investment in our commercial network will bring improvements for many customers."
"We would like to thank our customers for their patience and for continuing to be considerate to our drivers during what has been a difficult period.”
Andrew Fear, Managing Director at Citistar Limited, told The Journal: "We are pleased that the enhanced 522 service will offer a much wider opportunity for everyone to travel to and from the villages.
"We hope that those who have added their voice to the campaign to improve the service will support it by using it as much as possible, which is especially good value while the £2 fare offer remains in operation.
"We would also like to thank everybody who has supported us over the past five months while service 178 has been on our interim timetable."
Local timetable changes for North East Somerset
Service | Info |
Service 172 Bath – Midsomer Norton – Bristol | As a result of funding provided for the Bus Service Improvement Plan(B&NES and WECA), a revised Service 172 will operate. There will be no changes to the route between Bath and Midsomer Norton. From Midsomer Norton, the route will be extended into Paulton and on to Bristol along the route of Service 376, replacing Service 379. The 172 will operate half-hourly during the day and alongside the 376 will provide a combined 15-minute frequency along the A39 from White Cross via Whitchurch into Bristol on Monday-Saturday. When combined with services 173, 174 and the new service 522 (see below), this will also give customers a combined 12-minute frequency between Midsomer Norton and Bath, Monday-Saturday Service 172 will operate hourly into the evening, with early morning and late evening journeys continuing to operate to and from Wells. This service will no longer serve Midsomer Norton Tesco. |
Services 173 & 174 Wells – Bath | Revised timetables. Some early morning journeys on Service 173 will run between Wells and Midsomer Norton only, linking with Service 172 for journeys to Bristol. |
Service 376 Street – Wells – Bristol | Will continue to operate half hourly Monday-Saturday and hourly on Sunday. When combined with the revised service 172, which will be extended to and from Bristol from Midsomer Norton and follow the 376 route into Bristol, this will give customers a combined 15-minute frequency from White Cross via Whitchurch into Bristol, Monday-Saturday. The route will change between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Bus Station to operate via Victoria Street and Bristol Bridge, giving 376 users stops closer to The Centre and passengers travelling between the City Centre and the Wells Road common bus stops with services 2, 2a and 92. |
Service 379 Bath – Midsomer Norton – Bristol | This service will be replaced by a revised Service 172, please see above for details. |
Service 522 Bath – Midsomer Norton – Keynsham – Bristol | As a result of funding provided following the successful award to the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council Bus Service Improvement Plan, new service 522 will be introduced. This will operate hourly, Monday-Sunday, between Bristol Bus Station and Bath Bus Station via Keynsham, Timsbury, High Littleton, Paulton, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Peasdown St. John. This will give customers a 12-minute service between Midsomer Norton and Bath when combined with routes 172, 173 and 174. There will be additional journeys running between Bristol and Keynsham town centre, which when combined with service 349, will give a 15-minute frequency between Bristol and Keynsham, doubling the number of daytime buses compared to now. |
Timetables and route maps will be available soon via the First Bus website.