BSIP news

Free bus travel extended for care leavers

Young people leaving care, aged up to 25, will soon be able to travel free on buses in the wider region, thanks to funding secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority and North Somerset Council.

This new investment is an extension to the popular existing scheme, for 18 to 21-year-olds, which has been running since November 2023. Each young person in the West Country who takes up the current offer saves up to £950 a year.

For those eligible, details of how to apply for a WESTpass, which can be used on all the main bus companies and WESTlink vehicles, can be found at Westfares website. 

The start of the free travel extension will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Kids go free on the West’s buses

Children and young people under the age of 16 are set to be able to travel for free on buses across our region during the school holidays, thanks to new investment proposed by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, in partnership with North Somerset Council.

Around 150,000 kids in North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire aged from 5-15 years old could benefit from free bus travel this summer – just by hopping on board, with no bus pass or registration required.

Families across the West can already look forward to dozens of free activities over the summer – with a list set to be compiled on the Travelwest website in due course, alongside handy journey planning information. 

The school holidays are due to start on 19 July. The proposed free travel offer would run from then until 5 September (to cover varying INSET days) across the West of England and North Somerset during the same period on all registered commercial and supported bus services starting in those areas, with limited exemptions to be set out in due course on the Travelwest website – e.g. for airport services.

Travel for children and young people aged from five to 15 years old is currently capped at £1 per journey. Children under five years of age already travel for free on the majority of services in the West of England.

Free bus travel available all day for disabled residents

People in North Somerset with an eligible disability can now travel for free on local buses at any time of day, every day of the week. This includes peak busy travel times.

The change means that disabled bus pass holders no longer need to wait until after 9am on weekdays to travel for free. The aim is to make it easier for people who are disabled to get to work, appointments, education, and social events. 

The enhanced travel benefit will run from the start of April until 31 March 2026. 

The new 24/7 free travel option is a joint initiative of North Somerset Council and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. It covers bus journeys that start in North Somerset, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, or South Gloucestershire. 

It applies to most local bus services and operators, including Big Lemon, First Bus (including metrobus services), Park & Ride services and WESTLink.

For more information about the scheme and the application process to get a disabled persons travelcard, visit the TravelWEST website - more information about disabled and older person's travelcards.

Queensway, New Bristol Road and B3440

Outline plans to update the junctions in the Queensway, New Bristol Road and B3440 area in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, have been approved for delivery.  

The refreshed layout sets out to help ease congestion on a main route in and out of the town.  

The scheme will allow the junctions to work more efficiently and effectively for all traffic, while creating the modern infrastructure needed to enhance current and future bus services.  

Under the planned changes, the two traffic light-controlled junctions between the Queensway and Walford Avenue, and Bristol Road and the B3440, would be converted into two connected roundabouts. This would allow the junctions to function more fluidly, supporting a higher volume of traffic.   

Small changes are also planned for two roundabouts on New Bristol Road to improve traffic flow – the Victory (at the entrance to the Sainsbury’s trading estate), and by the Summerhouse pub.  

The nearby B3440 slip-roads connecting the A370 to M5 junction 21 would also be updated under the scheme with new bus lanes and smart traffic signals, which use GPS to track buses’ locations to give them priority.  

Backwell A370 crossroads

Plans to future proof the junction at Backwell moves a step closer following a period of engagement with Ward Members, Backwell Parish Council and residents.  

 Improvements that are to go forward include: 

• Creating a bus lane on Farleigh Road – there is space on the southern side of Farleigh Road to provide a bus lane to allow buses to bypass queues on the Weston-bound approach to the crossroads.  
• Signal improvements at the junction – signal upgrades to include bus priority; approaching buses would be detected and signal timings adjusted automatically to give extra time to allow the bus through the junction with priority over other traffic.  
• Revised configuration of road layout – the existing right-turn lane for traffic turning from A370 into Station Road will be maintained but in a revised configuration, a lane will be provided for straight-ahead and right turning traffic. The length of the general traffic lanes (i.e. after the bus lane ends) will be determined by modelling to ensure that right-turning traffic does not impede the straight-ahead (and left) traffic movement, or vice versa. Therefore, the bus lane will not cause additional congestion on A370 Farleigh Road or at the crossroads.  

Rownham Hill

Improvements to traffic flow and pedestrian and cyclist access at a key junction on the outskirts of Bristol have been formally approved to move forward. 

The planned upgrades, set for the A369 Rownham Hill junction with Bridge Road and Ashton Court, include new smart traffic signals, updated bus stops and shelters, and improved walking and cycling links.  

The approved changes have been directly influenced by community feedback, which included a six-week public consultation in spring 2024, alongside further traffic monitoring and surveys. As a result, an earlier proposal for bus lanes in both directions of the A369 has since been removed from the scheme. 

The junction improvements will aim to deliver better traffic flow, bus journeys and facilities for passengers, with: 

• new smart traffic signals - these can sense traffic moving at the junction and coordinate with other, nearby traffic lights to help traffic move through more efficiently. The smart signals would also be able to detect approaching buses using GPS signals to give buses priority over other arms of the junction 
• upgraded bus stops at Bridge Road and North Road - equipped with new, modern shelters with real-time information displays, comfortable recycled plastic seating and more spacious waiting areas 
• improved footpaths - the shared footpath and cycleway along the Ashton Court boundary, and the footpath between the Beggar Bush Lane and North Road junctions on the north-east side of Abbots Leigh Road would be improved 
• better crossing facilities - crossings across Rownham Hill near Bridge Road and at the A369 Ashton Court entrance would be modernised.

Improvements to bus stops and shelters in North Somerset continue as the next batch of upgrades are undertaken.

Around 150 bus stops located along North Somerset's main bus routes (service numbers 6, 7, X1, X4 & X5) will receive a makeover under the Bus Service Improvement Plan. 

Among some of the key features of the new bus stops are new shelter structures, increased space with bench seating including arm rests, new real time information screens with an audio and braille button, new low energy lighting, solar panels, and green ‘living roofs’ featuring up to 17 species of plants in urban areas.  

As well as upgrading stops and shelters, dozens of others will also be refurbished with new signage, more access to timetables, and general cleaning and maintenance.  

The improvements will be rolled out over several phases during the next 12 months, with the first wave of upgrades having already begun in January 2025.

The initiative will improve bus travel facilities for both residents and visitors, enhancing the overall public transport experience across the region.