Buses in Bristol

A First Bristol bus in the Bristol city centre

Buses are the main form of public transport in Bristol, England. Most bus services are operated by First West of England. Other companies offering services include: Abus, Bugler Coaches, Eurotaxis, Somerbus and Stagecoach West.

History

A preserved Bristol Omnibus Company bus

Horse-bus services in Bristol were started in 1887 by the Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company, with a service from the Victoria Rooms (connecting with the trams) to Clifton.^[1][2] The horse-buses were replaced by motor buses from 1906, first on a service from the city centre to Clifton.^[3]

From 1887 to 1986, Bristol Tramways (renamed Bristol Omnibus Company in 1957) had an almost complete monopoly of bus services in and from Bristol. The exceptions were in the 1920s, when Greyhound Motors provided competition until taken over by Bristol Tramways in 1928; a few small independent operators, the last of which, the Dundry Pioneer, was acquired in 1950; and Red & White Services, which started joint services with Bristol Omnibus Company to South Wales when the Severn Bridge opened in 1966.

Between 1937 and 1978 Bristol Omnibus Company was the operating partner in Bristol Joint Service (BJS) a joint undertaking with Bristol Corporation which controlled bus services within the city (and initially also its trams).^[4][5] The company owned and operated the buses, and shared revenues with the Corporation. BJS included services to suburbs outside the city limits (e.g. Filton, Patchway, Staple Hill and Kingswood).

Bus services expanded steadily between the wars. Between 1938 and 1941 Bristol's tramways were abandoned, and buses replaced the tram routes.^[6]

Bristol Tramways was state-owned from 1948. Expansion of services continued, to serve the new estates built on the edges of the city. But from 1954 passenger numbers started to decline.^[2] Most services started from the Centre, Prince Street or Old Market, although the tram replacement services started between 1938 and 1941 were mostly cross-city routes. In 1958 routes were linked, so that almost all routes ran across the city. This was to reduce congestion caused by standing buses in the central area, and also to provide better access to the new Broadmead shopping area.

In 1969 the company, now known as Bristol Omnibus Company, was transferred to the National Bus Company.

By 1973, growing congestion was again creating delays and unreliable timing on the long cross-city routes, and some services were again split.^[7] In 1978 the end of Bristol Joint Services enabled city services to be linked with routes in the eastern suburbs which were well outside the city boundaries. In 1981, limited stop express services were started to the outer suburbs,^[8] initially under the Clipper brand. Also in 1981 the NBC's Market Analysis Project^[9] triggered more changes, with the abandonment of some long-established routes.

A Badgerline bus

In 1980 the Thatcher government embarked on a programme of privatisation and deregulation of bus services. In preparation the company was split into two operating units in 1983: the city services, which in 1985 adopted the brand Bristol City Line, and the country services, which in 1986 became a separate company, Badgerline Limited.^[10] Badgerline was sold to its management in 1986,^[11] and the original company was sold in 1987 to Midland Red West, who kept the City Line brand.^[12]

Deregulation meant that Badgerline was able to begin bus services within the city, in competition with City Line. However, in 1988 Midland Red West was itself acquired by Badgerline, so that Bristol's bus services were again controlled by a single company.

In 1995 Badgerline merged with GRT Group to become FirstBus, later renamed FirstGroup.^[13] First adopted a policy of common branding, and the City Line and Badgerline brands were dropped.

In 1998 bus services were extended to serve the new out of town shopping centre at Cribbs Causeway, where a new bus station was built.

A few small independent operators have competed with Badgerline, City Line and FirstGroup since deregulation. Bugler Coaches ran a few tendered local services from 1988. Abus began with a competing service to Keynsham in 1991. South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach built up a small network of local services from 1997 until it was taken over in 2007 by Wessex Bus. However, the independents have been unable to shake the dominance of FirstGroup.

Livery of FirstGroup vehicles shown on a bus in Bristol

Long distance coach services are provided from Bristol by National Express, Megabus and Bakers Dolphin.

Buses were first operated in Bristol in 1887 by the Bristol Tramways & Carriage Company, a company which still operates, after several changes of name, as First Somerset & Avon.^[14] The company had an almost complete monopoly of bus services in the city until deregulation in 1986. Since then there has been a variety of operators.

Bus routes

The network of routes includes both services between the centre and the suburbs, and orbital services between suburbs. There are also some cross-city services, but some routes have been truncated in the central area, because of unreliability caused by traffic congestion.

The four councils in the Greater Bristol area are working to improve bus transport on ten corridors, designated the Greater Bristol Bus Network. The corridors are due for completion by 2012.^[15]

Coach services

The main operator of long distance coach services from Bristol is National Express, departing from Bristol bus station. But Megabus also operate long distance services. Special services operate to sporting venues such as Twickenham Stadium and Wembley Stadium for major sporting events. Megabus operates four services that serve Bristol, they stop opposite the Colston Hall, City Centre and at University of West England Frenchay. They provide direct services to and from London, The South West, South Wales and The Midlands. Tickets are also available to through destinations such as Paris and Brussels with a change in London.

Night services

Prior to 24 March 2013 there were 6 night buses (N1,N2,N3,N4,N5,N6) running across the Bristol area every Saturday and Sunday morning midnight until 6am operated by Wessex Bus, this was at a cost of £40,000 a year to Bristol City Council. This agreement was subsequently replaced by Bristol City Council to subsidise First Bristol to run buses 6 nights a week with an initial subsidy of £60,000 with a view to First taking on the services on a commercial basis once they become established.^[16]Late night services run on the following routes.^{[17] [18]}

Park and ride

Currently there are four park & ride services operating in Bristol these are, to the city centre from the A4 Portway, A4 Bath Road and Long Ashton park & ride car parks. However, Wessex Bus' new park & ride service operates to Clifton from the A4 Portway, the same site as the 902. The sites are operational all year round from Monday to Saturday.

• 902 – A4 Portway to the city centre, operated by First West of England ^[19]
• 903 – A370 Long Ashton to the city centre, operated by First West of England^[20]
• 904 – A4 Bath Road to the city centre, operated by First West of England ^[21]
• 901 - A4 Portway to Clifton, operated by Wessex Bus

There have also been plans from Bristol City Council to build a fourth park and ride site just off the M32 near Stapleton,^[22] although as of March 2012 no development has started.

Airport services

The Airport Flyer (A1) operates a frequent service on one route from Bristol bus station, Bristol city centre and Temple Meads station to Bristol Airport.^[23] The A2 no longer runs from Bristol but has in part replaced the withdrawn 121, running from Weston-super-Mare, through Nailsea and to the airport. The above services are operated by First West of England respectively. The A4 runs from Bath to the airport and is operated by Bath Bus Company using a mixture of three types of double decker.

Greater Bristol Bus Network (GBBN)

The Greater Bristol Bus Network (GBBN) also known as showcase bus routes are being developed by First in partnership with local government, to improve services with new buses, real time passenger information systems and traffic management measures.

Bristol bus station

The Bristol bus station is at Marlborough Street, near the Broadmead shopping area. It was opened in 1958, and was redeveloped in 2006.

The station is managed by First West of England. There are 19 bays. The station has a First Travel shop, National Express shop, National Express information desk, a café, shop, security office and toilets.

The bus station is used by the Bristol Airport Flyer service to the airport, most First Somerset & Avon express (X) and country services, and Stagecoach South West services to Taunton, Exeter and Plymouth. National Express services, as well as some services by other operators to destinations such as Yate and Cheddar.

See also

• Public transport in Bristol
• MetroBus (Bristol)

References

Sources

• Hulin, P (1974) Bristol's Buses Published by the author
• Curtis, C and Walker, M (2007) Bristol Omnibus Services: The Green Years Millstream Books ISBN 978-0-948975-80-6

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buses in Bristol.

The New services as from 2nd September 2018 are as follows: 1 Broomhill to Cribbs Causeway A1 BRS Airport to Bristol Bus Stn T1 City Centre to Thornbury Y1 City Centre to Yate/ Chipping Sodbury X1 BRS Bus stn to Weston-s-Mare U1 BRS Uni to City Centre 2 Stockwood to Cribbs Causeway 2A City Centre to Rookery Farm T2 BRS Bus Station to Thornbury X2 BRS Bus stn to Weston-s-Mare Y2 BRS Bus Station to Yate/ Chipping Sodbury U2 BRS Uni to Langford Uni m2 Long Ashton Park and Ride to City Centre (Metrobus) 3 City Centre to Cribbs Causeway Y3 BRS Bus station to Yate X3 BRS Bus stn to Portishead m3 Emersons Green to City Centre (Metrobus) U3 UWE Frencahy to City Centre 4 City Centre to Cribbs Causeway Y4 BRS Bus station to Yate 5 Downend to City Centre X4 BRS Bus stn to Portishead Y5 BRS Bus station to Yate/ Chipping Sodbury X5 Cribbs Causeway to Weston-s-Mare 6 Kingswood to City Centre Y6 Southmead Hospital to Yate/ Chipping Sodbury X6 BRS Bus station to Clevedon 7 Staple Hill/ Mangotsfield to City Centre 7 Staple Hill/ Mangotsfield to Lawrence Hill x7 BRS bus stn to Clevedon and Weston-s-Mare 8 Hengrove Depot to BTM 8 BTM to Clifton and BRS Zoological Gardens X8 BRS Bus Stn to Nailsea 9 BTM to Blackboy Hill 9 BTM to Clifton and Redland X9 BRS Bus Stn to Nailsea 17 Southmead Hospital to Kingswood 17 Keynsham to Southmead Hospital 24 Ashton Vale to Southmead Hospital 35 Bristol Centre to Marshfield 35A Bridgeyate to Lawrence Hill 36 City Centre to Hengrove 37 Bath to Bristol X39 Bath to Bristol 39 Bath to Bristol 42 City Centre to Bitton 42A City Centre to Kingswood 43 City Centre to Cadbury Heath 43 Cadbury Heath to Lawrence Hill 44 City Centre to Cadbury Heath 45 City Centre to Cadbury Heath 45 Cadbury Heath to Lawrence Hill 43 City Centre to Kingswood (24/7) after midnight only 44 City Centre to Longwell Green (24/7) after midnight only 48a UWE Frenchay to City Centre 48 Emersons Green to City Centre 48 Downend to City Centre (24/7) after midnight only 49 Staple Hill (24/7) to Emersons Green after midnight only 49 Emersons Green to City Centre 50/50A Hengrove Depot to City Centre 70 UWE Frenchay to Temple Meads 71 UWE Frenchay to UWE Bower Ashton 72 UWE Frenchay to Temple Meads Stn 73 Cribbs Causeway to Temple Meads X73 Aztec West to City Centre 75 Hengrove to Cribbs Causeway 76 Henngrove to Henbury 76 Hengrove to Cribbs Causeway after Midnight only from 0000- 0400 90 Hengrove to City Centre