Nationwide coach operator Megabus, known for providing services for as little as £1, has announced it will be axing routes across England and Wales. The brand said demand for its routes has failed to recover following the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
Megabus did, however, say that its routes in Scotland, as well as all cross-border services between Scotland, England, and Wales would continue to operate, MSN reports. Continuing routes will still provide links between cities such as Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, and London. Here in the South West, the bus route between Bristol and Plymouth will continue having avoided the axe.
All other routes will be cut due to ‘low passenger demand’, the coach operator confirms. Changes to routes are expected to come into effect from December 4.
According to the official announcement on the Megabus website, all customers affected by the service changes will be contacted ‘in the near future’, and arrangements are being put in place to ensure customers who have already booked tickets can find alternative transport or will be provided with a refund.
Megabus managing director Simone Walsh said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision. However, unfortunately it is not sustainable for us to continue operating our current network as the customer demand is simply too low.
“So, we are making these changes to ensure that we have a more efficient network going forward. Megabus will continue to operate its long-standing cross-border services, which also provide connections within England and Wales.
“And our Falcon services between Plymouth and Bristol are continuing to run as normal, as well as all our services across Scotland. We want to thank the many passengers who travel with us every day and will ensure that we continue to operate an affordable and high-quality service on the parts of the network that are unaffected by these changes.
“And we will work hard to ensure that customers who have booked services that are being discontinued are looked after and offered an alternative option.”
Tickets for Megabus and Falcon services can be booked on megabus.com and booking is available until January 5.