Local bus operator First West of England has adjusted a number of services in Bath in response to a change in customer demand and the easing of lockdown restrictions.
Among key changes are alterations to Service 3 and 3a and the introduction of new services 4a and 4b, both due to the closure of Cleveland Bridge.
Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said: “We expect bus travel to grow steadily over the coming months and we are constantly monitoring what is needed to get our customers moving safely, reliably and with confidence as they begin to undertake more day-to-day travel in line with Government guidance.
“We are still limiting numbers on board and if a bus has reached its full capacity, it will indicate so and may not be able to stop and pick up more customers until someone alights.
“That’s why we are encouraging customers to plan their journey in advance and travel at quieter times if they can. Our journey planning tools, including the First Bus app and the Space Checker website, support customers to plan their travel effectively.
“If you can’t book in advance, then please use contactless payment on board whenever possible.”
Customers are also being asked to make full use of the upper deck if they can, to leave seats downstairs for those less mobile.
Mr Claringbold added: “We would like to remind customers that it is still a legal requirement to wear a face covering when travelling by public transport, unless you fall within the Government’s specified exemptions, and everyone should adhere to this to help protect each other.
“We’d like to thank all our customers for their ongoing patience and cooperation.”
Service 1 (Bus Station – Southdown)
- Monday to Friday daytime frequency will be slightly reduced from every 10 minutes to every 12 minutes.
- Saturday daytime frequency will be slightly reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.
- Sunday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes.
Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 2 (Bath City Centre – Mulberry Park)
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 3 (Foxhill – Bathford), 3a (Weston – Batheaston), 3s
- There will be significant changes to Service 3 and 3a due to the closure of Cleveland Bridge, resulting in expected extra congestion on the approach to the Bathampton Toll Bridge.
- Changes to the routes of these services will be made to reduce the impact of traffic conditions on London Road for customers in Weston and Foxhill.
- To mitigate the impact of diverted traffic and associated traffic, Service 3 and 3a will no longer operate across the city centre.
- Service 3 will operate between Bathford and the city centre and Service 3a will operate between Elmhurst Estate and the city centre.
- Buses will operate a one-way loop via the Batheaston by-pass towards Bathford / Elmhurst Estate and London Road West towards the city centre.
- The sections of route between the city centre and Foxhill / Weston will be covered by changes to Service 4 and new Service 4a.
- Monday to Friday and Saturday, Service 3 and 3a will both operate every 30 minutes, providing a combined 15-minute frequency along the common section of route.
- On Sunday, Service 3 will operate every 30 minutes during the day and every 60 minutes during the evening.
- The one Monday to Friday Service 3s journey from Bathford to Hayesfield School will continue to operate as currently.
- Customers for London Rd West will be able to stay on the bus around the complete loop through Bathford or Elmhurst to reach their destinations when returning from the city centre.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 4, 4a, 4b (Weston – Odd Down)
- There will be no changes to the route of Service 4. It will continue to operate every 20 minutes Monday to Friday daytime.
- On Saturday, it will operate every 30 minutes during the day. And on Sunday it will operate every 30 minutes during the day.
- In connection with the changes to Service 3 and 3a and the closure of Cleveland Bridge, a new Service 4a will operate between Weston and Foxhill via the city centre, providing a replacement for Service 3 and 3a over this section of route.
- Service 4a will operate every 20 minutes Monday to Friday daytime. On Saturday, it will operate every 30 minutes during the day.
- On Sunday, it will operate every 30 minutes during the day between the City Centre and Foxhill only.
- Monday to Sunday evening from 1900 until the end of service, a new Service 4b will operate every 30 minutes.
- It will operate the same route as Service 4 between Weston and the Red Lion PH in Odd Down, where it will then serve Foxhill following the Service 4a route.
- Service 4b ensures that both Foxhill and Odd Down benefit from an evening bus service, however, three pairs of bus stops on the Wellsway will not be served, with these stops accessed by service 172, service D2, or a short walk.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 5 (Bus Station – Whiteway – Bus Station)
- Monday to Friday daytime frequency of this service will be slightly reduced from every 10 minutes to every 12 minutes.
- Saturday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 12 minutes to every 15 minutes.
- Sunday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes, and Sunday evening frequency will be reduced from every 30 minutes to every 40 minutes.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 6, 6a, 7 (Bath Bus Station – Bath City Centre)
- Monday to Friday and Saturday, there will be a slight reduction to the number of early evening journeys. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 8 (Bath City Centre – Kingsway via Linear Park, The Oval)
- Monday to Saturday, there will be a slight reduction to the number of early morning and evening journeys. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 18 (Bath – Kingswood)
- The majority of journeys on this service will be curtailed to terminate at Kingswood and not serve the section of route between Kingswood and UWE. This reflects reduced demand for travel across the North Fringe of Bristol over the summer months.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 19 (Bath – Cribbs Causeway)
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 20a, 20c, 20s (Bath Circular/Ralph Allen School Bus)
- Monday to Friday short working journeys between Twerton and University of Bath will be suspended over the summer months, reflecting the reduced demand for travel to and from University of Bath.
Service 32 (Bath City Centre – Bath Racecourse)
- To reflect very low demand for demand to and from the Bath Racecourse Vaccination Centre, Service 32 will be scaled back to operate every 60 minutes Monday to Sunday daytime only.
Service 37 (Bath – Bristol)
- Service 37, which consists of two round trips per day Monday to Friday will be withdrawn after operation on Wednesday 21st July 2021.
- This service is operated with resources connected with Oldfield School services and therefore this resource will not be available once the academic year ends.
Service 39, X39, X39s (Bath – Bristol)
- Monday to Friday peak time frequency will be revised slightly to operate every 15 minutes, with no changes to this service during the main part of the day.
- Saturday daytime frequency will remain every 15 minutes, however, some early morning and early evening journeys will be withdrawn.
- Due to very low demand and available capacity on other services, schools-only service X39s will be withdrawn.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 41 (Odd Down Park and Ride)
- There will be no changes made to the route or timetable of this service, however journeys which previously had a duplicate vehicle operating along the route will no longer have the duplicate vehicle.
Service 42 (Odd Down Park & Ride – Royal United Hospital)
- There will be no changes made to the route or timetable of this service, however, journeys which previously had a duplicate vehicle operating along the route will no longer have the duplicate vehicle.
Service 171 (Paulton – Bath)
- There will be a slight reduction in the number of journeys operating early on Saturday morning.
- On Sunday, a combination of services 171, 172, and 174 will provide two buses per hour along the main section of route between Bath and Midsomer Norton, with hourly extensions to Paulton and Wells.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 172 (Paulton – Bath)
- At peak times Monday to Friday, short working journeys between Bath Bus Station and Odd Down will be withdrawn, as demand reduces and capacity increases on other journeys and services.
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
- There will be a slight reduction in the number of journeys early on Saturday morning on this service.
- On Sunday, a combination of services 171, 172 and 174 will provide two buses per hour along the main section of route between Bath and Midsomer Norton, with hourly extensions to Paulton and Wells.
Service 173 (Wells – Bath, via Gurney Slade, Chilcompton, Midsomer Norton, Radstock)
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service 174 (Wells – Bath Via Shepton Mallet, Midsomer Norton, Radstock)
- Running times will be revised across all days of operation to improve reliability and punctuality. Customers are advised to check timetables and routes before travelling.
Service D2, D2s (Bath – Frome)
- At peak times Monday to Friday, journeys which previously had a duplicate vehicle operating along the route will no longer have the duplicate vehicle.
- Service D2s will continue to operate.
Service U1 (University of Bath)
- Monday to Friday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 7/8 minutes to every 15 minutes, and Monday to Friday evening frequency will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes.
- Saturday daytime and evening frequency will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes.
- Sunday daytime frequency will remain every 20 minutes. Sunday evening frequency will be reduced from every 20 minutes to every 40 minutes.
- These frequency reductions reflect customer demand with the end of the academic year at University of Bath and will operate throughout the summer months.
Service U3
- This service will be suspended until the new academic year at University of Bath in September 2021, with Oldfield Park served by Service U1.
Service U5 (Bath City Centre – Bath Spa University)
- Monday to Friday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 10 minutes to every 30 minutes, with the evening frequency reducing from every 20 minutes to every 40 minutes.
- Saturday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 20 minutes to every 45 minutes, with the evening frequency reducing from every 20 minutes to every 40 minutes.
- Sunday daytime frequency will be reduced from every 30 minutes to every 45 minutes, with no evening journeys.
- These frequency reductions reflect customer demand with the end of the academic year at Bath Spa University and will operate throughout the summer months.
