Need to get to work, doctor or hospital by bus?

Paul Hulbert and Louise Harris at Yate Bus Station

The recent changes in the bus services have improved things for some people, but made them worse for others. For example, the Y1 bus now goes straight down the M32, which has made the service quicker and more reliable. BUT we still have to get to Yate Shopping Centre or Chipping Sodbury to get the bus to Southmead, AND there are fewer services to Frenchay and Downend.

Strangely the Downend issue is causing a particular problem for some patients of the Abbotswood medical surgery, because they are asking some of their patients to travel to their Downend branch to see a GP. This is fine if you have your own transport, but on the bus it's now TWO buses with a wait in between. And you STILL need two buses to get to Southmead or the East Fringe employment area from a lot of our town.

What's more if you're using a Diamond card to do one of these double journeys, South Glos Council is now being charged for 2 trips each way rather than one.

We've started a petition for the south of the town saying "We want a better bus service from Shire Way, The Birds and Abbotswood to Downend Surgery, Southmead Hospital and jobs on the East Fringe" - you can click here to sign it.

Of course if you live in another part of the town you may have different problems with the new services - please get in touch with Louise Harris.