Bristol is set to benefit from three new bus services thanks to £4.7 million raised through the city’s Clean Air Zone charges. Launching on 06 April 2025, the services, operated by First Bus, will serve communities across North, East and South Bristol.
The new services are:
- Service 16 (East Bristol): Fishponds to Rupert Street (city centre), via Kingswood, St George, Barton Hill and Temple Meads.
- Service 36 (South Bristol): Highridge to St Annes, via Withywood, Hartcliffe, Imperial Park, Knowle and Brislington.
- Service 37 (South to North): Knowle and Hartcliffe to Avonmouth and Severnside, via Bishopsworth.
Services 16 and 36 will operate roughly every half hour daily between 06:00 and 19:00, according to the council. The Knowle to Avonmouth service will run three return journeys per day, with timings tailored around shift patterns for workers in Avonmouth and the Severnside business hub.
Councillor Tim Rippington commented that some areas “have been poorly served by buses until now”.
Bristol City Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport and connectivity committee, said the service will offer “residents a fantastic new resource and hopefully reduce pressure in the area”.
He added: “By working towards clean air for Bristol, we have been able to put money aside to invest in sustainable public transport that will be invaluable to the communities they will serve.”: “Every Bristolian should have access to a reliable bus service. Whilst there’s a lot more work to do, I hope these routes serve as an important first step towards those ends.”
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, responsible for overseeing and improving bus transport in the region, will manage the contracts for these new routes.
Image source: BBC News
