[Photo: Stagecoach]
Following Stagecoach’s decision to withdraw bus services in Cheltenham, Alex has been lobbying Transport Ministers to secure improved bus services for local people.
Alex was delighted that the Government listened and awarded Gloucestershire £4.4m to fund 21 new bus services, including some of the services which were withdrawn last year – including Service F - which can now be reinstated, if operators come forward.
Stagecoach have also announced that they will be putting on more buses to help meet demand on their most well-travelled routes, with more frequent buses and later services running into the night.
The following improvements have been in place since 7 January:
A: Benhall - Hester’s Way - Cheltenham – Prestbury
Friday and Saturday journeys will continue to run for an extra hour into the night, in both directions. The Sunday timetable will benefit from an extra 4-5 trips at the end of the day.
C: Fiddler’s Green - Cheltenham
Friday and Saturday journeys will continue to run for an extra hour into the night, in both directions. An extra 4 night journeys will run on Sundays.
D: Hatherley - Cheltenham Rail Station – Cheltenham - Racecourse Park and Ride - Bishop’s Cleeve
An extra two late night journeys will run on Friday and Saturday towards Cheltenham, and a single extra journey will run from Bishops Cleeve. On Sundays, the 1853 journey will now continue to Bishop’s Cleeve with two further journeys at 2023 and 2153. Three additional later journeys will run back towards Cheltenham.
41: Northway - Tewkesbury - Kingsditch - Cheltenham
Friday and Saturday journeys will continue to run for an extra hour into the night, in both directions. On Sundays, three additional journeys will leave Northway after 1922 until 2222 and two extra trips will depart from Cheltenham after 1950 at 2050 and 2150.
94: Gloucester - Churchdown (94) – Cheltenham
The 94 and 94X will both run every 15 minutes (an improvement of 5 minutes), providing a combined timetable of 8 buses an hour between Gloucester and Cheltenham Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, 4 buses will run an hour.
There will also be new evening and Sunday journeys on the 94X, providing an express connection for passengers who appreciate the option of a quicker journey on Sundays too.
W: Cheltenham - Prestbury - Winchcombe
This service will now leave from North St instead of Pittville St. This is to reduce bus congestion on Pittville St and provide a combined stop with route N which also runs to Prestbury and Winchcombe