BSIP news

First Bus

With a maximum single bus fare now capped at £3 across the country, we have worked closely with First Bus since autumn 2024 to keep fares as low as possible for bus passengers in North Somerset.   

As part of our local Bus Service Improvement Plan, child single tickets remain £1 for travelling anywhere in the region.  

First Bus fares include single town fares for adults travelling within Clevedon, Nailsea or Portishead remaining at £1.80. For many other journeys, we have been able to keep single fares below the level of the national fare cap at a reduced £2.40. The fare will only rise to £3 when passengers are taking journeys of over six miles.  

For all updated fares information visit the First Bus website.

The Big Lemon

The Big Lemon, operator of the X10 service, has also updated its fares:  

• short hop town fares will remain £1 per adult and 50p for children and students  
• town to town fares, such as Clevedon to Portishead, will cost £2 per adult and £1 for a child or student   
• single journey fares will be £3 per adult and £1.50 for a child or student    
• return fares and Avon rider ticket offers are available with tap-on-tap-off - the easiest and cheapest way to get about 

We have also extended the popular WESTfares pass initiative offering free bus travel to all young care-leavers in North Somerset aged 18 to 21. You can now ‘tap on’ and ‘tap off’ on most bus services, which automatically calculates the cheapest fare so you don’t have to.  

The West of England’s first electrified bus depot was unveiled on Thursday 20 March as passengers boarded the region’s first electric buses.  

Twenty-four new electric buses will transport about 20,000 passengers per week on two key services in North Somerset; the X1 (Weston to Bristol) and X4 (Portishead to Bristol).  

The 78-seater, zero-emission double-deckers boast modern interiors with USB charging points for each seat, a camera monitoring system instead of wing mirrors for added safety and a smoother, quieter and more reliable ride for passengers.  

Each new electric bus will also save about 75 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent to taking 54 cars off the road.  

The depot in Weston-super-Mare has been transformed thanks to a £14.9 million investment from First Bus and the Government’s Zero Emissions Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) project, via North Somerset Council.   

Apply now to get free bus travel for the whole of your birthday month on almost every bus in the region. That's unlimited free trips to shops, nights out, catch up with mates, your work commute or whatever you choose for a whole month.  

You can also make the most of your pass in April by visiting a range of free events over the coming weeks! For inspiration, view Spring-themed school holiday events | North Somerset Life.

Under 21? You can now get free bus travel for the whole of your birthday month and the following month if you apply before your 21st birthday.   

New for this year, you get access to a fantastic range of offers and freebies with your birthday bus pass on top of your free bus travel. So you can get out and explore some of the amazing shops, attractions and hospitality our region has to offer, and make the most of your birthday with a whole month of celebrations. Check out the current list of offers. 

Apply for your birthday bus pass at www.birthdaybus.co.uk.  

Communities were recently invited to have their say on fresh designs for creating attractive new transport hubs in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead, as well as upgrading the Worle Interchange.   

Residents and businesses took part in a survey for their area, viewing the latest designs and commenting on specific design features.   

Transport hubs are intended to offer useful facilities that make it easier and more appealing to travel on foot, by wheel and by bus by providing a connection point between these different forms of transport. They also offer an attractive focal point for communities, helping to boost town and village centres.    

While hub designs differ from town to town, they include features such as high-quality bus shelters and waiting areas, cycle facilities, information points, real-time information displays, cycle parking and planting.    

The survey responses are currently being reviewed.

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.  

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

Backwell A370 crossroads

Plans to future proof the junction at Backwell have moved a step closer following a period of engagement with the local community.  

Initial proposals put forward a partial closure of Dark Lane due to the expected future increase of traffic at the junction that is already almost at capacity. The part-time closure would have addressed this by reducing delays for all vehicles travelling on the A370 and Station Road. However, this change is no longer being proposed under the Bus Service Improvement Scheme following engagement with Ward Members, Backwell Parish Council and residents.  

Proposals also looked to introduce a Transport Hub on the A370 offering improved waiting spaces, real time information for travellers, cycle parking and more comfortable shelters. This also included improved parking facilities and pedestrian facilities at Rodney Road. This is no longer being proposed for Backwell following engagement with Ward Members, Backwell Parish Council and residents.  

Improvements that are to go forward include: 

• upgrades to the traffic signals including GPS technology, offering bus priority over general traffic 
• a Weston-super-Mare bound bus lane on Farleigh Road  
• improved footways and a new pedestrian crossing near to the leisure centre 
• moving the Bristol bound stop to the west side of the crossroads putting place a new shelter and more comfortable seating

North Somerset Council is planning to revamp up to 150 bus shelters on key routes as part of its Bus Service Improvement Plan. The project will focus on routes covered by services 7 (Worle to Locking Parklands), X1 (Weston to Bristol), X4 (Portishead to Bristol) and X6 and X7 (Clevedon to Bristol).  

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.  

The new shelters will offer real time information and timetable updates through ‘E-ink’ screens. Updates are instant and disruptions can be communicated instantly. It also reduces the need to print and distribute paper timetables as the screens are managed from a computer.   

As well as upgrading more than 100 stops and shelters, dozens of others will also be refurbished with new signage, more access to timetables, and general cleaning and maintenance.  

The WESTlink service trial has been extended for another year and is supported by the extension of BSIP funding. Several improvements are on the way to enhance service efficiency and accessibility.  

Smaller, more efficient 8-seater vehicles are being introduced with a new contractor. Additionally, service zones have been adjusted to include Weston College.