Sunday services restored to Pucklechurch and Westerleigh villages
Bus campaigners have welcomed the launch of a new bus service over the weekend.
The new X49, which began yesterday (Sunday 13th April) is operated by First Bus and runs between Yate and Bristol via Pucklechurch and Westerleigh following the route of the previously council-funded 689 service, which the X49 replaces.
Buses will run hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes and, for the first time in several years, there will be journeys during the evening (two journeys in each direction) and on Sundays and Public Holidays.
This restores bus services to Pucklechurch and Westerleigh on Sundays and Public Holidays, and for people in Staple Hill and Fishponds will offer a faster journey time in and out of the City Centre (compared to Service 49).
Boyd Valley Conservative councillors Steve Reade and Ben Stokes marked yesterday's launch of the new service in Pucklechurch with Prospective Conservative MP for Thornbury and Yate Luke Hall.
Ben and Steve said:
"This is really positive news for Pucklechurch because it improves evening journeys and reinstates services on Sundays and Bank Holidays after an unwelcome absence of several years.
We know local people have been looking forward to this because improving local bus services was something that came out of the results to our village survey which we carried out last year and in a recent public meeting.
We really want to encourage residents to use this service as much as they can so we can maximise the chances of it becoming a long-term public transport option for people considering leaving their cars at home."
Luke Hall, a Westerleigh resident, added:
"As someone who lives in Westerleigh and whose family lives in Westerleigh, the new X49 service is hugely welcome.
This is one of a number of changes, including providing new links to Southmead Hospital.
First have also said that the combination of the new Services 46, X46, 47, X47 and X49 will now mean that people wishing to travel between Yate and Bristol will have access to up to five buses per hour during the day from Monday to Saturday."