May 2018
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News First Bus hints at what will happen to existing services once MetroBus starts
P A MetroBus vehicle on show at the MetroBus operator announcement event
colouring that will be used on any route. The specially designed vehicle interiors have a new seat fabric, wi-fi and USB charging points, while the drivers will wear special MetroBus uniforms, distinct from any others in the city. Asked by the Journal when we can expect to see MetroBus services running in Bradley Stoke, Dai Powell, chief executive of HCT Group (the parent group of BCT) said: “We’re very keen to get started as soon as possible, after all, we’re investing £7m into the city’s transport and we need to start making that investment work financially in the shortest possible timescale. Yet we also have a significant gas infrastructure project to undertake, one with a lot of moving parts – civil works to pipe the gas on site, the build of the installation and so on.” “We’re also having a fleet of brand new vehicles built – a
project in its own right. As a consequence, we don’t want to give a timeline at this stage as it would be a hostage to fortune. As the project gets into gear and we know more, we aim to be open and transparent about our progress – so we’ll keep everyone posted.” We also asked First why it had chosen to subcontract the M1 route rather than run it itself. A company spokesperson said: “It’s primarily to do with depot capacity: Our depots are at capacity, and remaining capacity is already allocated to forecasted growth in parts of our network. The customer benefit is that this arrangement allows simplified ticketing on MetroBus services and across the wider network, which keeps things simple for the travelling public.” ● What can we expect to happen to the current 73 & X73 services once MetroBus start? See the article to the right.
lenty of people have raised concerns about what will happen to existing local bus services once MetroBus starts operating. Up until now, First West of England has been saying it is “too early to say” what might happen to Bradley Stoke’s 73 and X73 services. With the MetroBus service now having taken a step closer to starting, we asked First Bus for an update on its plans for our current local services. A spokesperson told the Journal: “The introduction of a high frequency direct link to and from central Bristol on MetroBus is bound to have some effect on the 73. We will be carefully assessing how M1 will impact passenger demand for the 73 and we will be reviewing the route and frequency of that service. We will, however, remain committed to providing the 73 as a local bus service.”
He added: “The current plan is to run a slightly modified version of the current 73 while the M1 ‘beds in’. The X73 will be withdrawn because it would not be commercially viable once Service M1 starts.” The planned withdrawal of the X73, which starts at Aztec West and travels down Brook Way before heading for the city centre via Parkway Station and the M32, will pose difficulties for some commuters, particularly those living on roads to the west of Brook Way. Those living north of Manor Farm Roundabout will at least have the option of taking the 73 and changing to MetroBus at the Willow Brook Centre (although still involving a walk to transfer) or at Webbs Wood Roundabout. Those living further south will find themselves having to walk a considerable distance to access MetroBus services.
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