Bristol, Bath and the West

Bristol Bus Network Review

Following a recent review of bus services in Bristol, which looked at the type and frequency of journeys made by customers in the city and the reliability of services, a number of changes to the bus network are being made.

The changes, which come into effect on Sunday 10 May, vary in scale: in some places the timetables are being altered to improve the overall reliability of services whilst on some routes the frequency of some buses is being slightly reduced. Service X27 (which runs between Yate and Bristol) is being withdrawn, however we understand that South Gloucestershire Council will be inviting bus operators to bid to provide a replacement service. Service X42 will continue to run at peak times (travelling down the motorway), throughout the rest of the day customers will be able to use Service 342 as an alternative to the X42 . Other routes in the town, including Service 327, will be unaffected by the changes.

Justin Davies, Managing Director of First in Somerset and Avon, explains: "We have looked carefully at bus network and the types of journeys people make. This information has helped us build a picture of how people are travelling in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Using this information we have relooked at the network and have changed it so that it better reflects how it is actually used.

"In this tougher economic climate its important that we best match the resources we have available to the needs of our customers. We have written to key stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of what is happening'

In addition to the changes to the network, First in Bristol is also merging its two travel shops in the city. From 5 April, customers in Bristol will be have access to travel information, services and advice via the travel shop at Bristol Bus Station in Marlborough Street, while the shop on Colston Avenue will be closed. Customers may also purchase daily and weekly tickets on bus, or season tickets from a number of newsagents within the city. The changes to the travel shops have no impact on staffing levels within First.

Justin Davies adds: "We will closely monitor the outcome of all of these changes taking any actions deemed necessary as a result, but we firmly believe that they are necessary, helping match our current resources with existing demand.'

The registrations for these services were submitted on Wednesday 11 March. All key stakeholders have been informed of the changes to local bus services.