BUS operator First is cutting the frequency of its bus service from Frenchay and Stapleton to the city centre, seven months after it was introduced.
From April 7 the 50 will run every hour rather than half hour between 6.25am and 8pm on weekdays, and at similar times on Saturdays.
Buses are also being rerouted via Glenfrome Road between Bell Hill and Muller Road, instead of using Stapleton Road, to give passengers better access to the Eastgate Centre.
‘Low’ demand
The service was introduced last September, after Frenchay and Stapleton had gone almost two years without a direct link to the city centre.
A First spokesperson said: “We introduced the service 50 every 30 minutes to assess demand in the Stapleton/Frenchay area, but passenger take-up has been low, and we have therefore reduced its frequency to hourly.
“However, we have adjusted its route closer to Eastgate/Tesco to see whether this is more attractive to potential customers in Stapleton/Frenchay and Easton.”
First is also cutting the frequency of the 47x Oldbury Court service, which also serves Frenchay Road and Croomes Hill, to hourly at off-peak times, although it will still run half-hourly during peak hours for commuters.
The spokesperson said this was due to “low demand”, adding: “The 47x runs alongside other Fishponds Road services for much of its route, which is very well served off-peak by buses running through to Downend, Emersons Green and Staple Hill.”
New 16 service launched
First says the new 16 service, which is also launching in April, will serve Oldbury Court “up to every 30 minutes on all days of the week”.
The 16, one of three new services being funded by the city council for three years using £4.3 million raised by Clean Air Zone charges, will run from the Cross Hands bus stop in Fishponds Road via Downend Road and Overndale Road into Oldbury Court, along Sheppard Road, Gill Avenue and Vassall Road, then from Straits Parade to Lodge Causeway and Lodge Hill.
It will then head to Kingswood, St George, Barton Hill and Temple Meads before going to the city centre via Old Market.
The 16 will take around 50 minutes to travel between Fishponds and the city centre, with services running from 6am-8pm on weekdays and 8am-8pm at weekends.
First has also revised the timetables of the 48, 48x, 49 and 49x services, to “improve punctuality and reliability”.
The spokesperson said: “Inbound 48x and 49x services will be slightly quicker, while outbound peak services will have additional time to account for congestion.”
As part of the change all 48 services will terminate at Downend, with only 48x services going on to Emersons Green, and 49 services will all terminate at Page Park, with only 49x services going on to Lyde Green.
This means passengers who want to travel to Mangotsfield and other areas will need to avoid bus stops on Fishponds Road between the Muller Road and Stapleton Road junctions, which are only served by the 48 and 49.
The new timetables can be found here.