Bristol m4 bus route launches despite cuts to services

A new sustainable bus route has been launched to provide "fast and direct" services into Bristol city centre.

The m4 route's launch comes despite bus passengers in the west of England enduring cuts elsewhere, with up to 36 routes facing the axe.

Buses, running on biogas, will run between Cribbs Causeway and the city centre.

Services will run every 20 minutes on Monday to Saturday, and every 30 minutes on Sundays and bank holidays.

The route includes the Mall, Bristol Parkway station and the University of the West of England.

It has a new railway bridge, new bus lanes on Gipsy Patch Lane and upgrades to bus stops.

The biogas is produced using food waste as a sustainable fuel.

Construction work was carried out by South Gloucestershire Council, with £57m of funding from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA), led by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

"There are undoubtedly still serious problems on the buses and I'm conscious that too many passengers are seeing reductions in the frequency of buses and there are cancellations and delays," Mr Norris said.

"This is due to the driver shortage, which remains critical, but is being addressed."

The m4- operated by First West of England (FWE)- will join the m2 and m3, which started operating in 2018, and the m1, which launched in 2019.

It will serve communities in Patchway and Stoke Gifford, and also eventually serve the new Bristol Arena and the Brabazon development on the former Filton Airfield.

Doug Claringbold, managing director of FWE, said: "We're proud to be operating the m4 and giving even more people the chance to experience the metrobus and travel sustainably on a modern bus network.

"Since the m3, m2 and m1 metrobuses were launched they have carried over 13 million passengers, despite the pandemic.

"These services enable faster, more direct journeys."

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