National bus operator Stagecoach will be operating services in the South Gloucestershire area from today.
The new Stagecoach routes will serve the Yate area and provide links from surrounding villages to local facilities, and for travellers wishing to make onward connections.
The services which will be run by Stagecoach include the bus routes 84, 85, 86 and 620.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Planning, Transport & Strategic Environment lead member Cllr Colin Hunt said: “We’re pleased to welcome Stagecoach to South Gloucestershire, who will be providing services alongside a a number of transport operators. We have a responsibility to secure the best deal we can for South Gloucestershire residents, and it is a sign of a healthy competitive environment that we can attract new operators to the area. A growing number of our residents are choosing to use the bus and we look forward to working with Stagecoach to continue that trend.”
James O’Neil, Commercial Manager at Stagecoach said: "We are really looking forward to starting our new services in Yate, Kingswood, Wotton-under-Edge and Bath this September. These routes represent the start of an exciting new partnership with South Gloucestershire Council, and we can't wait to invite all of our new customers on board soon!"
The 84 service is a circular route that operates in an anti-clockwise direction from Wotton-under-Edge through Charfield, Cromhall, Wickwar, Chipping Sodbury, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Horton, Hawkesbury Upton, Hillesley and Alderley, before returning to Wotton-under-Edge.
The 84 will operate alongside a new 85 service that will cover the same circular route as the 84 but in a clockwise direction. Both the 84 and 85 services will link with the 86 service at Yate, providing a connection to Kingswood and reintroducing a service to Longwell Green Leisure Centre/Aspects Leisure Park.
The 620 service operates between Tetbury in Gloucestershire and Bath via (South Gloucestershire towns) Chipping Sodbury, Yate, Westerleigh and Pucklechurch.
Timetables and route information for all services are available from www.travelinesw.com