A new series of bus routes are due to launch in Bristol as part of changes to the bus network in April. Three new services will be introduced, to be run by FirstBus, including a service long campaigned for in south Bristol.
The 36 will be a new service connecting Highridge (Bishopsworth) and St Annes, via Withywood, Hartcliffe, Imperial Park, Knowle and Brislington. Residents in Withywood and Hartcliffe had previously called for a bus service to Knowle and Brislington due to a lack of bus services in their area.
Last year it was announced that the former 36 bus route, that went to and from the city centre and St Anne’s, near Brislington, was renumbered as the number 5 and extended to Clifton Village. This new route travels from St Anne’s to the south of the city, rather than the north.
The new 16 route will serve east Bristol and will run from Fishponds to the city centre (Rupert Street). The route will also serve Kingswood, St George, Barton Hill and Temple Meads. The service will pass through the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area, which the rollout was paused in January due to protests.
Both the 16 and 36 services will run roughly every half an hour everyday. The service will run between 6am and 7pm.
The 37 service will be a new route that runs from south Bristol to north Bristol. The service will connect Knowle and Hartcliffe to Avonmouth and Severnside, via Bishopsworth.
The 37 will run three return journeys everyday based around the shift patterns of workers in Avonmouth and the Severnside business hub. All three services will launch on April 6.
The bus services will be funded by income raised by the Clean Air Zone and £4.7 million has been set aside to fund the services until 2028.
“This will complement our East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial”
Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “I am thrilled we are funding these important new bus services that will connect people to their places of work, families, friends, leisure, education and more. It’s fantastic that by working towards clean air for Bristol, we have been able to put money aside to invest in sustainable public transport that will be invaluable to the communities they will serve.
“This follows on from the work of a task and finish group, which involved councillors from all political parties and was chaired by Councillor Tim Rippington, to consider how best to spend the Clean Air Zone income to support more bus services. We looked at gaps in Bristol’s bus network to identify services that would have the most benefit for people along these routes.
“I am especially pleased that residents in east Bristol will benefit from a new half hourly bus service. This will complement our East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial, offering residents a fantastic new resource and hopefully reducing pressure in the area.”
Councillor Tim Rippington said: “This is great news for our city, particularly for some areas which have been poorly served by buses until now. Every Bristolian should have access to a reliable bus service. Whilst there’s a lot more work to do, I hope these routes serve as an important first step towards those ends.
“There are, of course, a lot more areas that need new bus routes. £4.3 million does not buy very much these days in terms of buses, but we are hopeful that this is just the beginning and we can identify more funding and plug even more gaps in the future.
“The timescales for this project were extremely tight – had we not initiated the Task and Finish Group when we did it would have been at least another six months before we saw any new routes coming into action.
“I’d like to thank council and Mayoral Combined Authority officers, in particular, for making this happen so quickly, and also my fellow councillors on the Task and Finish Group for their efforts in getting us over the line.”
George Burton, Head of Network for First Bus in the West of England said: “We’re really pleased to have been chosen by Bristol City Council to run these tendered services on its behalf. We look forward to integrating these services with the rest of the city’s bus network, and, in turn, providing more opportunities for customers to use sustainable, public transport.”
It is unknown whether there will be any more services introduced in Bristol at this time, or whether any services will be taken out of use. Changes to the bus network are coordinated twice a year, with changes typically taking effect in April and September.
New buses as fares rose in January
The changes come as bus fares across the region rose at the beginning of this year, due to the single journey price cap rising from £2 to £3 nationally. First had said that single journeys will cost £2.40 for most people, with journeys above six miles costing the full £3.
A day ticket for adult passengers in Bristol rose to £6.50, a week ticket to £26.50 and a month ticket to £92. Child tickets remained at £1.
However, discounted two-journey tickets were scrapped as part of the changes. Whereas before a return journey would have cost £3.80, it now costs £4.80 (assuming one-way is under six miles in length).
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