Eleven bus services in the south west of England are to stop running after HCT-owned Bristol Community Transport announced that it would cease operations on Friday 2 September
Following on from the closure of Yorkshire operations CT Plus and Powells Bus, and the sale of HCT Group’s ‘red bus’ London operation to Stagecoach London last month, HCT Group has now issued a statement in regards to its Bristol operations.
Its customers were advised that: “Bristol Community Transport (BCT) will stop operations in the Bristol area on Friday 2 September, having reached an advanced stage of negotiations with another operator who would take on the running of the M1 route, starting on Monday 5 September. Transition between the two bus companies would take place over the weekend of September 4 and 5, which will mean no m1 services will operate on those two days.
“BCT will also cease operation of their other bus routes in the Bristol area from Friday. Local authorities are working to identify other operators to run as many of these routes as possible and we apologise for the disruption while new operators are found.
“It has been a privilege to serve the people of Bristol over the past decade and we are proud of the role we have played in the development of part of the Metrobus network, which has been critical to delivering great connections for people living and working in south Bristol to other parts of the city.
“We are deeply saddened to have been forced to make the decision to cease operations as BCT, but multiple challenges such as the financial impact of the pandemic and the current surge in fuel and labour costs have left us with no alternative.”
The new operator for the Metrobus m1 service has been confirmed as being First West of England, which operates the other services on the Metrobus network in the city.
Reacting to the news, Councillor Steve Bridger, Leader of North Somerset Council, said: “I’m devastated to learn that North Somerset residents will suffer more bus cuts from this week. The impact of this on the elderly, young people, families and more, and at such short notice, is deeply concerning. Buses play a vital role serving our communities. They provide essential links to help residents get to school and college, get to work to earn a living, attend doctor and hospital appointments, shop and generally travel across the area. Buses are also key to our response to the climate emergency.
“I’m sympathetic to the dreadful situation the HCT Group finds itself in. My thoughts go out to their employees who after Saturday will find themselves unemployed. HCT Group’s withdrawal of services is the latest sign of complete market failure. In a cost of living crisis, bus operators are experiencing a rise in cost of fuel and driver shortages with increasing pay demands. While this is all happening, usage hasn’t yet returned to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic, and Government support for the bus industry is due to end in March 2023.
“Unfortunately, we have very little direct influence over bus providers. For many years we have demanded more powers from central Government and for more investment into public transport. Instead, we’re seeing a managed decline of bus services throughout the region and indeed across the country. Without further action from central Government the situation is only going to get worse. I encourage residents to write to their local MP, as I am doing.”
Councillor Steve Hogg, North Somerset Council’s executive member with responsibility for transport, added: “We’re working with bus companies, the West of England Combined Authority and Bristol Airport to look at alternative options. This is a fluid situation and we’re trying to do all we can to find a solution.”
The West of England Combined Authority said it is ‘working hard to try and secure an alternative operator’ for services 52, 53, 54, 55, 62, 505, 506, 511, 512, 515, 516, however from 3 September these BCT-operated routes were expected to cease operating.
