Bristol, Bath and the West

First is changing services in Somerset for the better as it improves reliablity for customers.

First bus operations are changing in Somerset from Tuesday 29th May 2007. We hope this will make it easier for people to use the bus instead of the car to improve the environment in which we live and work.

The changes are intended to improve reliability and punctuality. This means there will be more frequent and reliable services between Taunton and Minehead.

We are pleased to annouce that we are continuing to work in partnership with Somerset County Council to provide better servcies in some areas.

Service 23 which operates between Taunton and Williton is changing significantly for the benefit of customers. Journeys running between Taunton and Williton Monday to Fridays will now be renumbered as Service 23B. Service 23 will now run between Taunton, West Bagborough and Cotford St Luke provide additional journeys on the service.

West Bagborough will now have daily services between Monday and Saturday. Please note that previously this service did not run on Thursdays and Saturdays. These services will be re-routed in Bishops Lydiard via Darby Way and Greenway. This will cover the withdrawal of Service 28A.

The route of Service 23 and 23B will change in Taunton due to parking issues. This means that it will no longer run along Leslie Avenue, but will operate via Whitmore Road in both directions.

First is also making some changes to Service 23A which operates between Taunton and Bridgwater. The route is changing in Taunton from Leslie Avenue and Whitmore Road. In the future it will opearate direct via Kingston Road and Station Road in both directions.

Service 307 will no longer operate in its current from and is being replaced between Taunton and Dulverton by new service 25B. The service will continue to offer a two-hour frequency between Taunton and Dulverton with some minor timetable changes. Customers living in in Bampton and Dulverton will benefit from an increased hourly service between the two locations.

There will be some changes to Service 14 which operates between Bridgwater and Watchet. The journey leaving Watchet, Monday to Saturdays at 1741, and returning from Nether Stowey at 1825 is beng withdrawn. This is because patronage was very low on this service.






Service 28 between Taunton and Minehead / Service 28A between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard and Service 38 between Watchet and Minehead will undergo the following changes.

The frequency of Service 28 will be increased to every 30 Minutes and will replace the existing services 28A and 38. All journeys on Mondays to Saturdays will run via Hithermead in Bishops Lydeard and off-peak journeys will now serve the West Somerset Railway when it is open to the public.

First is making slight changes to Service 58/58A between Yeovil and Shaftesbury this is to improve reliability. Service 58 leaving Yeovil at 1605 Mondays to Saturdays is changing. The Service 58A journey previously leaving Shaftsbury at 1750 will now depart at 1800 and will run direct through Sherborne via Yeovil Road. Customers living in Digby Road and Ridgeway may catch a new 58 journey instead. This service will leave Millborne Port at 1930.

Service 102/112 between Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare are being withdrawn on Mondays to Saturdays from Bridgwater.

The timetable is changing slightly to Service 398 between Minehead and Tiverton to improve reliability.

Service 630 between Martock and Taunton is being withdrawn from Sunday 27th May 2007.

Service 633 between Martock and Ilminster is changing because of the creation of a one way street and this means that the section of the route in Ilminster to Herne Rise will be withdrawn. In addition, the journey currently leaving Martock at 0845 will now depart at 0900 and be re-reouted via Kingsbury, Episcopi and Stembridge to replace part of the route on Service 630.




First would like to apologise for any inconvenience to passengers who may be effected by this issue.