Plenty 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 The X73 will be withdrawn because it would not be commercially viable once service M1 starts.”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.

This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 7). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.

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A new express bus service linking Bristol city centre with Thornbury is set to become the first regular service to make use of the new Stoke Gifford Transport Link (SGTL, a.k.a. Stoke Gifford By-Pass) and the new bus lanes on Bradley Stoke Way that have been created principally for MetroBus.

Commencing operation on Sunday 27th May, First’s new T1 service will operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 60 minutes Sunday / Public Holiday daytime.

Service T1 will start and terminate at Colston Street in Bristol city centre and will not stop in Bristol Bus Station. This means that customers from Thornbury and along the A38 (Thornbury to Aztec West) will benefit from direct access to and from the city centre, as opposed to Bristol Bus Station.

The route of Service T1 will be via the M32, A4174, Stoke Gifford Transport Link and Bradley Stoke Way to Aztec West, where the current Service 78/79 route will then be followed to Thornbury town centre.

During the day, service T1 journey times from Bristol City Centre to Thornbury town centre will be 45 minutes, providing a considerably quicker journey than at present.

Bradley Stoke residents will also be able to benefit from service T1, which can be accessed from all regular bus stops along Bradley Stoke Way, as well as the Willow Brook Centre.

Draft timetables seen by the Journal on the Traveline SW website show a journey time of just 26 minutes from the Willow Brook Centre to Bristol city centre in the middle of the day, increasing to 32 minutes during the morning peak. For travellers wishing to reach the city centre as quickly as possible, these journey times will make the T1 a very attractive alternative to the 73 and even the X73 (which also uses the M32 but takes a longer route through Stoke Gifford ‘village’ to reach it.

More: Service will use newest high-spec Euro VI double deckers »

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Buses on the 73 route through Bradley Stoke are set to become less polluting, thanks to a £2.2 million grant from the government’s Clean Bus Technology Fund.

The route is one of 12 across Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire that will benefit from the award which will allow operator First Bus to cut emissions and help improve air quality across the wider region.

The funding was awarded in February by the Department for Transport following a successful joint bid by Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council.

Cllr Mhairi Threlfall, Cabinet member for transport at Bristol City Council, who led the bid, said:

“It is great news that we have been successful in our bid for this funding, which will help us to improve air quality across the region by making vital environmental upgrades to the bus fleet.”

“We will be prioritising these upgrades on the bus routes that we know to be the most polluted with levels of harmful air pollutants that are far too high.”

“This will form part of our continuing efforts to turn around the issues with air quality in our area and make Bristol a healthier place to live and work. I look forward to seeing this new technology being brought into action over the next year.”

The money will be used to retrofit emissions reductions technology on 81 buses that run on these 12 routes, which cover some of the most polluted roads on the wider network.

More: EV/hybrid engines to be fitted in 12 buses »

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In a startling admission of the impact that the current MetroBus roadworks are having on bus services in the Bristol North Fringe, First Group has warned passengers travelling on its 73 route to expect delays of up to 75 minutes during the morning peak, meaning that a journey from north Bradley Stoke (Newleaze) to the city centre could potentially take around two-and-a-half hours.

A statement published by the operator on 21st November said:

“Lane closures in and around Aztec West and Bradley Stoke Way associated with MetroBus works are causing significant disruptions to services in and around the area.”

“Services 73, X73, 77, 78, 79 are severely disrupted during the peaks. Service 73 in particular is experiencing delays of up to 75 mins during the morning peak.”

Holding out little hope for an early resolution to the issue, the statement concluded by saying: “Completion [is] currently estimated as September 2017.”

The news, which only confirms what passengers have been reporting on social media for many months, comes on top of a catalogue of complaints about the reliability of evening X73 journeys returning from the city centre (detailed in a reader letter in our November magazine).

A further negative development seen since the closure of the nearside lane of Bradley Stoke Way on the approach to the Aztec West Roundabout on 14th November has been frequent reports of journeys on the 73 route being terminated short of their timetabled final destination (be that Cribbs Causeway or Temple Meads). This has seen buses coming from the city centre terminating at Parkway Station, the Willow Brook Centre or Aztec West and similarly (in the reverse order) for buses coming from Cribbs Causeway. On some occasions, the revised destination has been displayed on the bus signage, allowing passengers to decide if they wish to board a bus that will not take them to their desired destination. Other times, however, passengers have been unexpectedly told that the bus is terminating short of its advertised destination and told to get off the vehicle.

More: Passengers take to Twitter and Facebook to voice frustration »

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