Bus services in Bristol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are three main Bus and Coach companies operating within the greater Bristol area. They include First Bus, National Express and South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach. Other services are operated by Abus, Buglers, Megabus, Eurotaxis, Flights Hallmark and Stagecoach.
Contents |
[edit] Sevices in Bristol
[edit] Local services
Please note there are two service 50's and 57's in Bristol.
Please note some South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach services maybe run by First.
[edit] Night flyers
There are 10 night flyer services across Bristol. These services only run on Saturday and Sunday mornings and at new year. They operate hourly from midnight until 5am.
| Service | Route | Operator |
| N1 | Southmead - Centre - Southmead | First Bus |
| N2 | Fishponds - Centre - Fishponds | First Bus |
| N3 | Kingswood/Hanham - Centre - Kingswood/Hanham | First Bus |
| N4 | Stockwood - Centre - Stockwood | First Bus |
| N5 | Rookery Farm - Centre - Rookery Farm | First Bus |
| N6 | Hartcliffe - Centre - Hartcliffe | First Bus |
| N7 | Avonmouth/Shirehampton - Centre - Avonmouth/Shirehampton | First Bus |
| N8 | Henbury - Centre - Henbury | First Bus |
| N50 | Centre - Chipping Sodbury | South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach |
| N61 | Centre - Filton | South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach |
[edit] Park and Ride
There are three park and ride sites operational all year round Monday-Saturdays only. On the approaches to Christmas they operate 7 days a week and an additional service operates.
| Service | Start | End | Frequency | Operator | Info |
| 902 | Portway Park and Ride | Centre | Approx every 15 mins | First Bus | Portway park and ride is situated on the (A4) Portway at Shirehampton. Journey time is approximately 30 minutes to the city centre. |
| 903 | Long Ashton Park and Ride | Centre | Approx every 10 mins | Flights Hallmark | Long Ashton Park and Ride is situated on the A370 at Long Ashton in North Somerset. Journey time is approximately 15 minutes to the city centre. |
| 904 | A4 Bath Road Park and Ride | Centre | Approx every 10 mins | First Bus | A4 Bath Road Park and Ride is situated on (The A4) Bath Road at Brislington. Journey time is approximately 20 minutes to the city centre. |
| 984 (Christmas period only) | University of the West of England | Centre | Christmas Park and Ride is situated in the University of the West of England car park, just off junction 1 of the M32. It only operates on the approach to Christmas. |
All Park & Ride services are operated under contract to Bristol City Council. Contracts for services 902 and 903 have recently been confirmed as being lost by First and gained by a newcomer to the region, Flights Hallmark (part of Rotala Group) who will be operating from the South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach depot at Filton. Flights Hallmark will provide a new bus fleet and introduce services from 0600. This change is expected to take place during the second quarter of 2007. [1]
[edit] School services
There are six school services operating across Bristol.
| Service | Start | End | Operator |
| 429 | St Mary Redcliffe | Avonmouth | First Bus |
| 430 | Ashton Park School | Totterdown | First Bus and Abus |
| 431 | Ashton Park School | The Malago | First Bus and Abus |
| 432 | Ashton Park School | Bedminster | First Bus and Abus |
| 433 | St Bernadette School | Brislington | First Bus |
| 436 | Brislington School | St Annes | First Bus |
[edit] X Services
are buses with limited stops, there are usually only a few of these services per day, but they provide a quick link between their start and end destination.
| Service | Start | End | Operator |
| X62 | Centre | Mangotsfield | First Bus |
| X67 | Centre | Cherry Gardens | First Bus |
| X73 | Centre | Bradley Stoke | First Bus |
| X74 | Centre | Bradley Stoke | First Bus |
| X84 | Centre | Parkway | First Bus |
[edit] Other services in Bristol
There are three services that provide a quick link between railway stations and the city centre.
Services 8 and 9 Services 8, 8A, 9 and 9A acts as a link between Temple Meads and Clifton Down. When rail services between Temple Meads and Clifton Down become more frequent in late 2007 then the service may see a decline in passengers. In 2006 First bought new buses for the route to improve reliability and frequency.
Service 73 Service 73 provides a quick and frequent link between Bristol Parkway and Centre. In the opposite direction it provides a link to Cribbs Causeway.
Service X84 Service X84 provides an express link between Bristol Parkway and Centre. Although the service only runs a few times a day, due to service 73 being the main Bristol Parkway - Centre link.
[edit] Fares
[edit] Local First fares
FirstDay
This ticket allows unlimited travel on First bus services in Bristol Zones 1 and 2 for one day. These tickets are commonly called 'Dayrider' by locals.
Adult - £4.40 (before 0900 Monday – Friday) or £3.50 (at all other times)
Student (with photocard) - £2.80
Child - £2.70 (weekdays) or £2.00 (weekends & bank holidays)
FirstFamily - costs £7.00 (not available before 0900 Monday - Friday) for up to 2 adults & 3 children
First Ten
FirstTen gives ten single journeys within Bristol Zones 1 and 2 and is priced at £24.00
Single/return tickets
Fares are worked out depending on the number of Fare Stages your journey takes you though. Discounts are available for under 16s only. It is customary to state your fare to the driver when buying single tickets.
1 Fare Stage - £1.10
2 Fare Stages - £1.60
3 Fare Stages - £2.10
In addition, longer journeys are charged at £2.60.
Return fares are available.
[edit] Park and Ride fares
| Ticket Type | Cost | Info |
| Return | £3.00 | Before 10am |
| Return | £2.50 | After 10am |
| 10 journey ticket | £13.00 | Not available on Long Ashton service 903 |
| 20 journey ticket | £24.00 |
Might change when service is taken over by Flights Hallmark.
Up to three under-16s travel free with each fare-paying adult.
[edit] Showcase routes
There are more routes planed across the city, they are mainly to increase the number of users and to minimise traffic.
| Showcase route | Info | Service number (or likely number | Date started (due to start) |
| 1 | The first showcase route started in Bristol in 2005; It was decided that it would be service 76/77 because the service operated between two areas which were disadvantaged (Hartcliffe and Henbury) and would help provide a link between the two. | 76 and 77 | 2005 |
| 2 | The second showcase route is due to start in late 2007, and will operate along the A420 and A431. In 2006 First bought 42 new low-emission buses to operate this route. | Late 2007 | |
| 3 | M32 Priorities (Consists of putting a bus lane on the M32) | Not yet started | |
| 4 | A4018 Bristol to Cribbs Causeway | 1 | Not yet started |
| 5 | Bristol to Cribbs Causeway via Parkway and North Fringe | 73 | Not yet started |
| 6 | A4 Bristol to Bath | X39 and 339 | Not yet started |
| 7 | A432 Bristol to Yate | X30 and X40 | Not yet started |
| 8 | A37 Bristol to Norton Radstock | 379 | Not yet started |
| 9 | A4174 Avon Ring Road | Likely to be a new service | Not yet started |
| 10 | A370 Bristol to Weston-super-Mare | X1, 121, 350, 351 and 353 | Not yet started |
| 11 | A369 Bristol to Portishead | 358 and 359 | Not yet started |
| 12 | A367 Bath to Norton Radstock | Not yet started |
[edit] Former Routes
This list may not be totaly acurate, but provides some idea, of former bus routes.
| Service | Route |
| 2 | Similar to route 1 |
| 22 | Rookery Farm - Westbury (Via henleaze Road) |
| 23 | Similar to route 20, 21 and 22 |
| 26 | Lockleaze - Ashton Vale |
| 40 | Old route not new one (similar to old 43 service) |
| 42 | Similar to route 41 |
| 80 | Unknown |
| 82 | Unknown |
| 88 | Broadmead - Knowle - Broadmead |
| 501 | Similar to route 1 |
| 502 | Similar to previous route 2 |
| 520 | Similar to route 20 |
| 521 | Similar to route 21 |
| 523 | Westbury - Avonmouth |
| 544 | Unknown |
| 545 | Unknown |
| 572 | Unknown |
[edit] Bristol Bus and Coach Station
In 2006 the Bristol Bus and Coach Station was redeveloped because the old station had fallen into disrepair. Though the station is managed by First Somerset & Avon, it is still in Bristol. There are 19 bays at the new station. The station has a First Travel Shop, National Express shop, National Express information desk, Pumpkin Café, Amigo News, Security Office and Toilets.
Bays
| Bay | Destination |
| 1 - 7 | National Express services |
| 8 | Bristol International Flyer |
| 9 | Bath |
| 10 | Wells/Bridgwater/Yeovil, Yate, Thornbury |
| 11 | Chipping Sodbury, Dursley |
| 12 | Yate, Chipping Sodbury |
| 13 | Nailsea |
| 14 | Radstock, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon |
| 15 | Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, |
| 16 | Weston-super-Mare |
| 17 | Clevedon |
| 18 | Weston-super-Mare |
| 19 | Chew Valley / Cheddar |
Please note there may be more than 1 bay for a destination.
[edit] Other services
(From Bristol to outside the city)
There are other bus services that operate within Bristol and the Greater Bristol area.
Please note there are two service 318s, 328s, 330s and 339s.
There are 15 National Express services that operate from Bristol or stop at Bristol en route (May not be listed above). These services stop at the Bus and Coach station.
First operates other services from Bristol but are part of First Somerset & Avon, These services include, services to Weston super mare, Bristol International Airport, South Wales, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Clevedon, Bath, Dursley, Nailsea, Portishead, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Radstock, Tormarton and Chippenham.
[edit] Megabus sevice
| Service | Start | Via | End |
| M10 | Cwmbran | Bristol | London |
[edit] X services
| Service | Start | End | Operator |
| X1 | Bristol | Weston-super-Mare | First Bus |
| X7 | Bristol | Clevedon | First Bus |
| X10 | Bristol | Magor | First Bus |
| X11 | Bristol | Chepstow | First Bus |
| X14 | Bristol | Cwmbran | First Bus and Stage Coach |
| X30 | Bristol | Brimsham Park | First Bus |
| X39 | Bristol | Bath | First Bus |
| X40 | Bristol | Brimsham Park | First Bus |
| X42 | Bristol | Chipping Sodbury | First Bus |
| X58 | Bristol | Clevedon | First Bus |
