Local bus operator First West of England has revealed the planned changes it will be making to services in Bath from 30th January.
Photo © Jon Craig
The changes are being made to address services that are financially unsustainable and introduced a number of timetable revisions to improve reliability and punctuality.
Following long-standing issues with commercial viability and detailed discussions with the West of England Combined Authority and Wiltshire Council, Service D1 will now operate hourly, Monday to Friday daytime, from Bath to Warminster (Boreham Fields) via Trowbridge with the aid of short-term financial support from the Combined Authority.
There will be no change to Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday services.
Service D1 will no longer operate between Warminster and Salisbury due to low passenger numbers, but Wiltshire Council is working to source a replacement.
In line with the changes to Service D1, Service D1x between Bath and Trowbridge will also be withdrawn due to very low passenger numbers.
Amongst the changes to improve reliability and punctuality, all journeys on Service 19 between Bath and Cribbs Causeway have been re-timed.
Revised timings will also apply to Service D2 between Bath and Frome, which will also benefit from an additional afternoon peak journey to cope with high demand.
First West of England’s Managing Director Doug Claringbold said: “We already made changes to some of our Bath timetables earlier last year, with frequencies reduced slightly on selected routes in response to the nationwide shortage of bus drivers, which has exacerbated existing difficulties with recruiting drivers in Bath and was impacting our ability to maintain service levels.
“Unfortunately this comes on top of issues with the viability of some Bath services that pre-dated the pandemic and will not therefore be resolved by any recovery in passenger numbers.
“Although regrettably we have had to reduce service levels between Bath and Warminster and will no longer operate to Salisbury, the West of England Combined Authority has been able to provide financial support to a number of services to limit any changes coming into effect on 30 January.
“We will continue to work with Mayor Dan Norris’ team, as well as Bath and North East Somerset Council and other stakeholders, to explore further options for protecting services.
“The challenges are significant, but we are committed to try and find the best solutions to keep people moving.”
Other changes being introduced include:
Services 6, 6a and 7: City Centre – Fairfield Park/Larkhall
- To improve punctuality and reliability, Services 6, 6a and 7 will terminate and start at Grand Parade rather than Manvers Street during the day, Monday to Saturday. Evening, Sunday and Public Holiday journeys will continue to operate from Manvers Street.
Service 11: City Centre – Bathampton
- Minor timing changes only.
Service 12: City Centre – Haycombe
- Minor timing changes only.
Service 37: Bath – Bitton – Cherry Gardens – Bristol
- This service will be withdrawn but school journeys will operate as Service OS1 and customers wishing to make onward journeys can use Service 45, which will be extended to Cherry Gardens to enable connection with Service 19.
Service D2: Bath – Frome
- In addition to the above, there will also be changes to the duplicate school buses to provide sufficient capacity for school movements along the route.
Service OS1
- Two morning and afternoon peak journeys (Monday to Friday term time only) will operate between Hanham and Oldfield School to replace journeys on Service 37.
Service X39: Bath – Bristol
- The 0730 X39 departure will now depart 10 minutes earlier from Bristol Temple Meads to Hayesfield School to better align with the start of the school day.
