Bus operator First West of England will be making some changes to its University of Bath services from today, Monday 19th October.
The alterations come in response to changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and the return of students for the Autumn term.
In the lead up to the new academic year, First West of England worked closely with the University of Bath in order to design Bath Unibus services and timetables which matched anticipated customer needs.
The impact of Covid-19 has dramatically reduced demand. Therefore, from today, Monday 19th October the U3 service between Oldfield Park and the University of Bath will be temporarily suspended, with the Monday to Friday daytime U1 service now operating between Oldfield Park and the University via the City Centre.
The U1 service is unchanged in the evening and at weekends.
The new arrangement has been designed to meet the much lower customer demand in the best way possible, providing the maximum frequency at each stop and ensuring that three stops previously served by the U3 that are no longer served are still within close walking distance of alternative stops now served by the U1.
First West of England said it remains committed to the U3 and the service will be reinstated when demand requires.
Service U1 will be closely monitored and regularly reviewed in order to provide customers with reliable, punctual services that reflect customer demand, and service levels will be adjusted if necessary, as the situation evolves.
There are also some minor changes to the Service 20a/20c timetable, however, the frequency of buses and operating hours remain unchanged.
James Freeman, Managing Director of First West of England, said: “We are still operating in a very fluid environment due to the pandemic, and although we all seek a period of stability, the dramatic drop in demand for our University of Bath services is the latest example of where change was necessary.
“We’d like to thank all our customers for their ongoing patience and understanding through these challenging times.”
For details of all changes, view the new timetables here: www.firstgroup.com/letsgetmovingwoe.
