Popular metrobus service to run later in the evenings and on Sundays
Bus passengers on the m2 metrobus route can now look forward to later running services and a new Sunday service thanks to a £156,000 investment from Bristol City Council.
The three-year funding will be used to add later buses to the timetable from Monday to Saturday and introduce a new Sunday service. This will offer users more choice for when they travel and help to support the city’s nighttime and visitor economy.
The m2 service runs from Long Ashton Park & Ride to the city centre via Ashton Vale, Ashton Gate, Cumberland Basin, Spike Island, Redcliff Hill, Temple Meads, Cabot Circus, and Broadmead.
Currently, the service operates from Monday to Saturday until 9.30pm. Thanks to the council’s funding, from 6 April the m2 will have two extra round trips from Monday to Saturday, departing from the city centre at around 10pm and 11pm.
A new Sunday service will also be introduced, running between 8am and 7pm, which will also operate on bank holidays.
Following feedback from Visit West, Bristol City Centre BID, and other key city centre stakeholders, we are extending the popular m2 service to run later in the evenings and on Sundays. These changes will not only improve connectivity for residents and visitors but also support our local economy and contribute to a more sustainable transport network. The extended metrobus service will launch at the same time as the three new routes that will serve south Bristol and east Bristol and is a further boost for the local bus network.
Councillor Ed Plowden, Chair of Bristol City Council’s Transport and Connectivity Committee
The m2 is a critical route for visitors to Bristol, as it not only provides vital park and ride services, particularly those from the south west of England, and those coming into the city through Temple Meads station, but connects some of the city’s key visitor destinations from Spike Island, Brunel’s SS Great Britain and Wapping Wharf on the Harbourside to the Old City and Cabot Circus. This is incredibly valuable for people staying in many of the city’s hotels as well as day visitors. It supports our sustainable tourism ambitions and can enable more visitors to access destinations currently not connected at key visitor times on Sundays and later in the evenings.
Kathryn Davis, Managing Director of Visit West
This is welcome news for the city’s businesses and for those working or enjoying a night out in our city. The introduction of a Sunday and bank holiday service is a great addition too. Improvements to our public transport system are critical for an accessible, successful and thriving city centre. We’ll be supporting the new schemes by ensuring that people who work, live, and visit the city are fully aware of the new services to encourage use.
Vicky Lee, Director of Bristol City Centre BID
Further investment in bus services in Bristol is welcome news for the city, and ensures we’re providing further opportunities to encourage even more people to travel sustainably by bus. These later and Sunday services on the m2 will add a further boost to the improvements we’re also making to the city’s bus network, and we look forward to adding them to the wide range of bus options locals, workers and visitors have in Bristol.
George Burton, Head of Network for First Bus in the West of England
The £156,000 investment is being funded by developer contributions, secured by the council through section 106 agreements from development at Wapping Wharf.
Metrobus is operated by First Bus in partnership with the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and North Somerset.
