See what we're doing with your feedback
We've introduced 'Tell First Bus' so you can tell us how you feel about travelling with us in the West of England and to help us to improve our service.
December 2018
Our online feedback form is available 24/7 and you can access it on any device here. And to prove that we really are listening, have a read below about some of the great changes we're making in the West of England based on the feedback YOU have given.
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We did... |
| Network-Wide: "Services running through South Bristol are not reliable." |
We are excited to introduce the new m1 metrobus service, which will connect Hengrove Park to Cribbs Causeway via Aztec West, Bradley Stoke, City Centre, Bedminster, and Inns Court. The m1 will improve connectivity to South Bristol with a high frequency service up to every 10 minutes. Like the other m2 and m3 metrobus services, the m1 will also benefit from new buses with dual doors and buy-before-you-board ticketing. The m1 will begin operating on the 6th of January, with free travel on the day of its launch. |
| Service m3 (City Centre - Emersons Green): "I have to wait to travel because the buses are often full." |
Based on feedback from our customers, we are making changes on the 6th of January that will benefit both UWE students and commuters who travel on the m3. We are increasing the frequency of the m3 during the weekday peak hours (from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes), increasing capacity for both students and commuters. We are also introducing a new m3x service, which will operate several journeys during the morning and afternoon peaks between Emersons Green (operating from the A4174 directly to the M32) and the city centre, but without stopping at UWE. As the m3x journeys do not stop at UWE, they will have a shorter travel time, benefitting the commuters who prefer a more direct link into the city centre. |
| Service U2 (University of Bath - Twerton): "I cannot board the bus as it is full of school children." |
Since some of our customers are unable to board the U2, we are beginning a new service that will cater to the students traveling to Ralph Allen School, thereby freeing up capacity for all other customers to travel on the U2. The new service R2 will only run on school days, and will operate a morning journey and an afternoon journey. This will enhance the ease of travel for our other customers during the peak morning and afternoon journeys. |
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| Network-Wide: "I'm not sure which zones I will be travelling through, so I'm not sure which ticket to buy." |
As of the 11th of November, we are simplifying our fares across the West of England - with key changes including the introduction of a Bristol flat fare, and the merging of Outer zones into the West of England zone. By streamlining the number of zones and tickets available, we aim to create an simple and straightforward bus experience for all of our customers. Please refer to the following page for additional information about your new fares: www.mynewticket.co.uk |
| Airport Services: "The A1 service runs late when it gets stuck in traffic." |
On 28 October we upgraded the A1, which is now able to run more reliably on a new route that uses the guided busway between Long Ashton and Bedminster Bridge. We also launched a new service, A2, which alongside the A1 will connect key areas of Bristol to the airport. Between the A1 and A2, all existing stops that are currently served on the A1 route will continue to be covered, and the A1 will serve several new stops such as Wapping Wharf, SS Great Britain, and Ashton Gate. Together, the two services will provide greater connectivity and improved reliability. The new services mean many of our customers will be able to travel between Bristol and Chipping Sodbury and Yate more quickly and frequently than they could previously. For instance, service Y1 will now run throughout the daytime, whereas X47 only ran at peak hours. |
Our online feedback form is available 24/7 and you can access it on any device here. And to prove that we really are listening, have a read below about some of the great changes we're making in the West of England based on the feedback YOU have given.
You said... |
We did... |
| Service 903 (LONG ASHTON PARK & RIDE): "I cannot use my Bristol Day ticket on the Park and Ride." |
All First network tickets, including the Bristol Day ticket, are accepted on the new metrobus service, m2, which launched on 3rd September and replaces the current Long Ashton Park and Ride service. The m2 still connects Long Ashton Park & Ride, Temple Meads and Bristol City Centre, and also provides links to other key points of interest such as SS Great Britain, Wapping Wharf and Ashton Gate Stadium. |
| Services X47 / 47 / X46 / 46 / X49 / 82 (CHIPPING SODBURY & YATE - BRISTOL): "These are the fastest journeys bus journeys connecting Yate and Bristol, but they only operate at peak times." |
Additional South Glos Lynx services were launched on 2nd September. These services better connect Chipping Sodbury and Yate with Bristol. These new services, numbered Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6 replaced the X47, 47, X46, 46, X49, and 82, respectively. The new services mean many of our customers will be able to travel between Bristol and Chipping Sodbury and Yate more quickly and frequently than they could previously. For instance, service Y1 will now run throughout the daytime, whereas X47 only ran at peak hours. |
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| Service X48 (LYDE GREEN - CITY CENTRE): "The bus times do not match my work hours, and there can be a long wait til the next bus." |
We are excited to have launched the m3 Metrobus service, which replaces and improves upon the X48 service and is the first of 3 Metrobus routes to begin operating in Bristol over the coming months. The m3 takes advantage of the Metrobus infrastructure and ‘buy before you board’ ticketing to give speedier boarding and faster and more reliable journeys for our customers. The m3 will also run at an increased frequency of every 20 minutes, so customers can plan their journeys more easily. |
| Services 78 & 79 (BRISTOL - THORNBURY): "The buses that serve Thornbury often run late." |
The 78 and 79 services were replaced by the new T1 and T2 services on 29th May as we improve bus connectivity between Thornbury and Bristol. A key change to the new routes is that the T1 runs via the M32, A4174, Stoke Gifford Transport Link and Bradley Stoke Way, thereby avoiding traffic congestion where possible. These changes mean the services will run more reliably, as well as cut down on journey times for those looking to travel directly into/out of Bristol. |
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Services 48 / 48A / 49: "Buses sometimes are too full to pick up additional passengers." |
We received feedback that the buses running on these routes are often crowded, with buses sometimes being too full to accommodate boarding passengers. Based on this, we have introduced a new 49A service that runs at peak times between the City Centre and Staple Hill. We believe that this will alleviate the issue on the other services, and give our customers more comfortable journeys as they travel on this key Bristol corridor. |
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| Service 265 (BATH - WARMINSTER ) Service 267 (BATH - FROME ) Service 271 (BATH - URCHFRONT ) Service 272 (BATH - MELKSHAM ): "The buses along these routes operate at low frequency." |
We are happy to announce the launch of the new Discover brand at the end of April, which will see Services 265, 267, 271 - 272 replaced by Services D1, D2, and D3 respectively. These routes will be operated with newly refurbished vehicles that each offer free wi-fi and USB charging ports. In addition, we are doubling the daytime frequency of Services D2 and D3 from Mondays to Saturdays. This will greatly improve the ease of travel for our customers between Bath and the surrounding Somerset and Wiltshire areas. |
| Service 6 (CITY CENTRE - KINGSWOOD) & Service 7 (CITY CENTRE - STAPLE HILL / MANGOTSFIELD): "The morning journeys are unreliable and they affect my daily commute." |
We have reviewed the timetables of both Services 6 and 7 and made adjustments to improve punctuality and reliability for peak as well as off-peak customers. Additional running time will be allocated for the buses to complete each journey, which will help subsequent journeys run on-time. These changes will be in affect as of the end of April. An early morning journey will also be introduced on Service 7 from Kingswood to the City Centre. |
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Service 82 (SOUTHMEAD HOSPITAL - YATE): "We cannot get from Chipping Sodbury to Southmead Hospital easily." |
Based on feedback from our customers, we are extending the existing route such that it ends in Chipping Sodbury instead of Yate. Going forward, customers traveling from Chipping Sodbury will now also have access to other key stops along the route such as Bristol Parkway and Cribbs Causeway. This change applies to the majority of journeys, and will be implemented at the end of May. |
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| Service 8 (TEMPLE MEADS - CLIFTON): The frequency of buses on this route is insufficient. |
Due to high demand, we are allocating additional vehicles to this route, while increasing the frequency from every 10 minutes to every 7 – 8 minutes. This will improve this service’s punctuality, and benefit customers who are connecting to train journeys to or from Temple Meads. This change will be in affect as of the end of April. |
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Service 172 (BATH – WELLS): The buses are full at peak hours. |
We have been servicing this route with single-decker buses, but we will begin putting double-decker buses on instead, which will increase the available capacity along the route to and from Bath and Wells. We will be able to accommodate more customers, and everyone will also be able to enjoy more comfortable journeys. This change will be in affect as of the end of April. |
| Company-Wide: First is focused only on making profits. |
We are committed to our customers, and aim to deliver safe, reliable, and enjoyable journeys. We do so by Investing in mobile ticketing solutions, green buses for our fleet, and ongoing training for our drivers. We are also committed to giving back to the community, and we began a partnership with Prostate Cancer UK in 2015 where we aimed to raise $1 million. We have currently exceeded our target by £500K, thanks to fundraising efforts from our employees and corporate donations. |
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| Service 37 (BATH - BRISTOL): "The 1715 journey is not reliable.." |
In our recent service change, we reviewed the 1715 journey on Mondays - Fridays from Bath to Bristol. As a result we amended the schedule so that this journey now departs from Bath at 1720 instead. This change will be in effect as of the 14th of January, 2018, and will improve the reliability and consistency of the service along the length of its route. |
| Bristol City Centre: "The buses do not run punctually at peak hours." |
The completion of the majority of roadworks in Bristol's city centre and an improved road infrastructure will benefit our customers as buses can carry out smoother journeys. We expect to see a decrease in delays as a result of the reduction in congestion, especially for the services that run through the city centre. |
| Network-Wide: "The boarding process is slow, especially at busy stops with many passengers." |
We've recently introduced contactless payments on all the buses across our network. This will make taking the bus more convenient for our customers, as you no longer need cash to pay for your tickets up to a value of £30. As a result, boarding times will be reduced as more passengers pay with their card which is a quicker process. For larger payments or for regular bus users we also encourage buying tickets on our mTickets App where many of our fares are cheaper than paying on the bus. |
We want to hear from you!
If you've got a minute or two, we'd really appreciate it if you too can tell us how we’re doing. We're working hard to give you the best bus service possible, so let us know what we're doing well or if there's something not quite right.
Although we won’t be able to send you a personal response, rest assured we’ll read all your comments. Your views really matter, so please complete the form and share the good, and the not so good stuff - we’re all ears.