A new bus route which was introduced just last year, is set to be scrapped in April along with several other routes. The announcement of the discontinuation of the 47 service was made by First Bus last week and has already been met with criticism from bus campaigners and impacted residents from St Pauls to Eastville who will now be left without an alternative service.
Last week, Bristol launched our Better Buses for Bristol campaign to call for better bus services in and around Bristol to address what many people say is a state of chaos, with another 42 routes set to be scrapped in April.
The 47 bus was introduced as a replacement service for the scrapped number 5, campaigners were told after setting up a petition to save the bus. At the time, campaigners felt that the 47 was not a viable alternative to the loss of the number 5, and with the new service being hourly and extended to Yate, they had warned that it would be subject to delays.
READ MORE: Campaigners fight to save vital 'lifeline' bus route
The reason given by First for scrapping the bus only six months after introducing the route is ‘low passenger numbers’. Although a new bus service will be introduced, it will go from Emerson's Green to Yate, leaving those in St Pauls and St Werburghs without any local bus service and limit options for passengers in Eastville and Oldbury Court.
An original petition set up to save the number 5 bus which was scrapped in October, generated over 2,000 signatures. Campaigners at the time had called the bus a ‘lifeline’ and said it was the only route connecting the Bristol neighbourhoods which are now set to lose the 47 with the rest of the city.
Ann Devereux, a 70-year-old living in St Werburghs who had campaigned to save the number 5 which was discontinued in October, told Bristol Live at the time that they had previously lost the number 25 as well. Ms Devereux echoed the concerns raised by others that their local buses were facing a vicious cycle of a poor service riddled with delays that subsequently caused a loss in passenger numbers resulting in the total withdrawal of the service.
Councillor Tim Wye for Ashley ward predicted at the time of its introduction that the 47 would soon be scrapped because the hourly service going all the way to Yate would be unreliable. He said back in September: “It won't be much use to people and I fear in six months’ time it will be a case of ‘look, nobody uses it, we need to cut it’.
“We desperately need an affordable, reliable alternative to support people who are less mobile and are unable to drive and to make the shift away from the car.” Ashley councillor, Amirah Cole expressed similar concerns at the time, stating that elderly residents and young people would be among the worst impacted by the loss of the route.
In response to the decision to scrapped the recently introduced number 47 bus, Metro Mayor Dan Norris said: “I know residents are understandably disappointed that First has withdrawn the 47. This is a commercial decision.
“Buses are a complex funding and regulatory jigsaw. Of the money I have secured from ministers, there is plenty of red tape saying what I can and can’t use it on, but I’m pleased to have brought forward a £7 million package with extra buses to move to “Turn Up and Go” frequency buses in Fishponds and four other areas in the city.
“It is also being invested in a new 525 serving Yate, Pucklechurch and elsewhere being run by Stagecoach. As we train more bus drivers, I hope we can go further.”
First Bus has been approached for comment. Bristol Live has contacted The West of England Combined Authority for an up-to-date list of bus services from April and we are currently awaiting a response.
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