A DIRECT bus service to link Stapleton to Bristol city centre will return from September.
The new First 50 service is set to operate from Frenchay to the Centre via Bristol Road, Park Road, Stapleton Road, Old Market and Broadmead, every 30 minutes between 6.35am and 7pm.
The bus will be operated on a commercial basis and will be the first to link Frenchay and Stapleton directly to the city centre for nearly two years, following the withdrawal of the Y4 and 5 services in October 2022.
It comes as the 25 service from Straits Parade to the centre via St Paul’s and Eastville gets a new operator – but plans for a park and ride service to reduce traffic on the M32 are scrapped.
News that the link between Frenchay, Stapleton and the city centre is being restored was revealed by the Better Buses for Bristol campaign group.
Member David Redgewell told a meeting of South Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet on July 15 it was “good news” that Frenchay and Stapleton would “finally get a bus service back”.
Since 2022 Frenchay residents have had to take the 19 to Downend, Staple Hill or the Avon Ring Road in order to catch a direct bus to the city centre, while Stapleton residents have had no service at all.
First did not confirm any details of the new route and timetable when approached by the Voice.
However the West of England Combined Authority, which has responsibility for transport planning in the region, confirmed it was being introduced.
Timetables and a route have been added to the Travelwest website.
The route loops around Frenchay before heading along Frenchay Park Road, Park Road, Bell Hill and Stapleton Road to Old Market, Broadmead and the Centre.
It will operate from Frenchay every 30 minutes from 6.35am to 7pm on weekdays and 8am and 7pm on Saturdays.
A WECA spokesperson said: “We informed First bus about the loss of service and impact to the local area, and the number 50 is a commercially-operated service that they have set up in response.”
Campaigners have been calling for First and WECA to work together to restore bus services axed in 2022, and had some success earlier this year when the new 47 from Oldbury Court to the city centre was introduced.
A petition to restore Stapleton services was started by then Eastville ward Labour councillor Marley Bennett, and quickly gathered more than 1,000 signatures.
Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy, Green Eastville councillor Lorraine Francis and then Conservative Frome Vale ward councillor Lesley Alexander also supported residents’ calls.
After Mr Bennett lost his council seat in May the petition was taken over by new Frome Vale Labour councillors Louis Martin and Al Al-Maghrabi, whose Frome Vale ward includes Broomhill and Begbrook.
They said: “We’re delighted to learn that a new bus service will be serving our community.
“This is welcome news for residents of Frome Vale. At long last, a bus service will run through Stapleton into the town centre.
“Credit needs to be given to former Eastville Labour councillor Marley Bennett, who began the campaign which we continued, to bring a bus service to the area – we’re glad our collective efforts paid off.
“We still need a route that goes across from Stapleton to Fishponds, across Frome Vale, which we will continue to push for.”
The councillors said the introduction of the 50 would also lead to changes in the route of the Oldbury Court service, which is being renamed the 47x and will go directly to the city centre along the M32 from Muller Road, avoiding Easton and Old Market.
They said: “The new 47x service from Oldbury Court will get into the centre much faster.
“However, residents from Oldbury Court will now need to change to another bus in Fishponds Road if they want to go to Easton or Old Market.
“We will continue to push for better bus connections running between areas of Frome Vale, not just to the city centre.”
Other changes to buses serving the Fishponds area have also been announced from September.
First is increasing the number of inbound 48x and 49x services, which use Muller Road and the M32 to reach the centre, avoiding Stapleton Road and Old Market, and cutting the number of 48 and 49 buses.
New operator rescues 25
A BUS service linking Fishponds to the Eastgate shopping centre, St Werburghs and St Pauls has been rescued after its operator shut down.
Transpora South West had run the 25 from Straits Parade since September last year.
But the company suspended all of its services in the region on July 12, without giving any notice or reason.
Transpora has not responded to a request for a comment.
However another company, Stagecoach West, has announced that it is taking over the service and is keeping to the existing timetable.
A spokesperson said: “Stagecoach has worked closely with the West of England Combined Authority to step in for customers and run the full seven-day timetable on Service 25, which provides vital links between the city centre, St Pauls, St Werburghs, Eastgate and Fishponds.”
The company has also taken over another route serving Thornbury previously run by Transpora.
Managing director Chris Hanson said: “Following the sad news that Transpora has ceased operations we are glad to be able to step in and save these two vital services for our communities in Bristol and Gloucestershire.
“We look forward to welcoming our new customers on board.”
Details of all local bus services, including timetables and route maps, can be found online at travelwest.info.
Picture: The route of the 50 loops around Frenchay and travels to the city centre via Frenchay Park Road, Bell Hill and Stapleton Road. Picture: Travelwest