First Group has introduced additional late night bus journeys on the number 73 Bristol City Centre to Cribbs Causeway route but passengers heading for Bradley Stoke aren’t seeing the full benefit because the buses terminate at Bristol Parkway Station.
From the beginning of this week, buses are leaving Rupert Street in the city centre at midnight, 1am and 2am – six nights a week (Monday to Saturday). The journey time to Bristol Parkway Station is 25 minutes. From there, local residents will have to make their own arrangements to reach their final destinations in Bradley Stoke.
In the opposite direction there are two additional journeys from Bristol Parkway Station towards the city centre, leaving at 0:30am and 1:30am.
In a press release, First Group says the additional journeys will provide opportunities for people to travel to and from the city centre, Cheltenham Road, Gloucester Road, Filton Avenue, Abbey Wood and Bristol Parkway Station well in to the evening. Those people wishing to travel to UWE late in the evening will be able to alight from buses outside Sainbury’s in Stoke Gifford, from where it is a short walk to the campus.
Several years ago, a night bus service (the N61 Night Owl) ran at weekends from Bristol city centre to Filton, UWE, Stoke Gifford, Bradley Stoke and Patchway. The service, which was subsidised by the respective Parish/Town Councils and UWE, provided three late night journeys on Fridays and Saturdays at a flat rate fare of £3.
The Night Owl service came under pressure when UWE, Filton Town Council and Stoke Gifford Parish Council withdrew funding. It was finally axed in April 2009 after Patchway Town Council also withdrew its subsidy, leaving Bradley Stoke Town Council unable to maintain the service on its own.
Related link: Bus Services in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
From a non-driver who walks everywhere,it is NOT ‘a short walk’ from Sainsbury’s to UWE,especially at that time of night/morning and i can envisage a lot a people putting themselves at risk thinking ‘oh,it’ll be ok,it’s only a short walk’ as i imagine a lot of rape/attack victims think when they take a ‘short walk’ home just to save a few quid!
Another missed opportunity by First. I’m sure there would be demand for a service up in to BS even at this time of night – just extending it up to Tesco’s via Brook Way or BS Way would take a lot more people closer to home. It wouldn’t be so bad if you could guarantee that a taxi is going to be at Parkway when you get there, but they aren’t going to be waiting around once the last London or cross country train has come in. Looks like I’ll be sticking to driving.
Could this new service explain the non arrival of the 6.40 no.74 into the centre on two mornings this week. Driver too tired to turn up at work to take the bus out!
Better than nothing I suppose 🙂
There are a great number of 24 hour employers in and around Bradley Stoke and the City Center that require late night travelers who can not always get transport directly to their home, I fail to see the benefit of a late night service that does not even provide the entire service route.
The requirement for a full service 24/7 is especially true since Bradley Stoke is trying to save money by turning off the street lights at night regardless of the risks as previously debated on this forum to no avail. I completely relate to Caroline’s comment as this is clearly a massive risk to peoples safety and well being.
It seems Bradley Stoke is becoming like a stuck record where nothing sensible ever gets done.
Totally agree LocalNonDriver, this ought to be a campaign in Bradley Soke and South Gloucestershire, its dangerous as you point out, and indeed debated heavily. Why has no one listened or acted upon these concerns?
The only safe way home is to give in to being totally ripped off by Bristol Taxi drivers when you say where you live, and the excuse of it being in another county is used, it might as well be another country, shocking.