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· Network and timetables designed to minimise impact of the pandemic and skills shortages across economy
· Around 96% of mileage in Gloucestershire will continue to operate as now
· The changes will impact less than 3% of customer journeys in Gloucestershire
· Discussions undertaken with Gloucestershire County Council on planned changes
· Aim to grow network in future by encouraging more people to switch from cars to buses
Stagecoach West will be introducing changes to their bus services in Gloucestershire to provide greater reliability for passengers.
This decision has been made following an extensive review of the resource requirements of the network balanced against the number of passengers the changes will affect. These changes were communicated to Gloucestershire County Council in August 2022, to allow them the required time to re-tender their contracted routes.
The first of the changes will be effective in the Forest of Dean from Sunday 20th November 2022 followed by further changes in Cheltenham from 27th November 2022.
Buses are fundamental to daily life in Britain, accounting for 60% of all public transport journeys. Looking ahead, they are also critical to helping achieve a green economic recovery, tackling climate change, ensuring cleaner air, and supporting connected communities.
Bus operators across the UK are facing immediate-term challenges from the overhang of the pandemic and in the UK labour market which are resulting in disruption to some services due to driver shortages.
Around 96% of the mileage on the current bus network in Gloucestershire will continue to operate as now, however some changes are being made to help avoid short notice cancellations and associated inconvenience for passengers.
Forest of Dean changes from 20th November 2022:
· Stagecoach will no longer be operating the following contracted services: Service 25, 27, 710, 748, 755, 761.
· Contracted journeys on the Service 24 between Cinderford and Chepstow will no longer be operated by Stagecoach. The route of the Service 24 will be adjusted to provide connections between Gloucester, Cinderford and Coleford, replacing journeys currently operating on the 25.
· Stagecoach has provided the necessary notice period to Gloucestershire County Council to allow them to make timely decisions around the future plans for these services.
Cheltenham changes from 27th November 2022:
· Services A and C will have a minor frequency reduction, with journeys running every 20 minutes after 17:00.
· Stagecoach will no longer operate Service E. As a result, Woodmancote will no longer be served. However, the Service D will run a revised route in Bishops Cleeve to provide an
alternative service, with journeys connecting to Cheltenham Railway Station and Cheltenham Town Centre every 20 minutes.
· Service F will no longer run on weekdays. Weekend journeys will continue to operate until February 2023, following notice period being served to Gloucestershire County Council. To retain links to Cheltenham General Hospital, Service B will be re-routed.
· Service 93, previously serving Arle Court Park & Ride, will no longer run.
· Service 94 will run every 20 minutes, alongside the express 94X service running every 20 minutes, creating a 10-minute frequency for journeys between Gloucester and Cheltenham on Mondays to Saturdays.
Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director, Stagecoach West said: “We know how important local bus networks are in connecting people to jobs, education, and skills, as well as ensuring access to key public services.
“Most of all, our customers want the certainty of knowing that the services we show in our timetable will be running reliably each day.
“The continuing impact of the pandemic on sickness levels, as well as the economy-wide skills challenge has meant that some services have had to be cancelled at short notice. More widely, the pandemic has accelerated changes in when and how people travel.
“We have completed an extensive network review and engaged with Gloucestershire County Council to plan a new network that we can deliver consistently, day in day out.
“Most services won’t change, but we have had to make some difficult decisions to match our resources to the current level of demand. This will mean we can deliver a more reliable service for customers and make it easier for them to plan their journeys.
“Longer-term, our aim is to grow the local bus network by working together with national and local government to attract more people out of their cars and onto more sustainable public transport.
“The more people who switch to bus, the stronger our networks will be. It can generate vital investment for more electric vehicles, helps keep fares low and ultimately will help us to expand the bus network to meet new demand.”
Bus industry figures show that switching just two car trips per month to bus or coach would save 20 million tons of C02 and bring £30bn and £15bn respectively in economic and health benefits by 2050.
Copies of the new timetables will be available shortly on the Stagecoachbus.com website.