Major changes to First Bus routes in Bristol as six routes scrapped

Major changes to bus routes in Bristol, Bath and North Somerset have come into force, with six routes scrapped and many others reduced or rerouted.

In Bristol and South Gloucestershire, the T2 from Thornbury to Bristol, and the Y2 from Chipping Sodbury to Bristol via Downend have been permanently cancelled.

In Weston-super-Mare, services 2, 4, 5 and 6 have been scrapped.

No routes are being scrapped in the Bath and Wells area, though as with Bristol and South Gloucestershire, many services there are being reduced or re-routed.

The operator, First West of England, has blamed driver shortage and a lack of passengers.

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said: “Despite the Government extending emergency funding for another six months, ongoing issues with driver availability mean further action is necessary beyond the changes we made at the end of January to ensure we can operate services more reliably for our customers.

“A number of services will see temporary reductions in frequency whilst passenger and driver numbers are constrained but unfortunately there are a number of services that are not commercially viable even at pre-pandemic passenger levels.

"As a result, we are having to make difficult decisions to act on these poor performing routes and ensure that our resources are focused on the areas of the greatest need."