New Bus Timetables for all local bus services + Route Changes
From 1st September 2019New Bus Timetables for all local bus services + Route Changes
From 1st September 2019
Link to New online Timetables here
First Bus is making some major changes to our local bus network. Some services will be cut as the bus company says they are not economically viable to run. There will also be some bus route changes in Ipswich town centre too, aimed at improving punctuality. New printed timetables will be available from the Old Cattle Market Bus station Travel office and online.
If you are affected by these changes please let us know: Kesgrave Town Council, Ferguson Way, Kesgrave IP5 2FZ email: publictransport2@gmail.com
Service 63 includes a new return service from Framlingham to Ipswich.
Service 64 between Ipswich, Woodbridge, Melton, Wickham Market, Saxmundham, Leiston and Aldeburgh continues up to 1 bus per hour Monday to Saturday daytime. The 1820 and 1850 services from Old Cattle Market will no longer run. Buses will take a new, faster route through Woodbridge using Warren Hill Road and Old Barrack Road and will no longer travel along Newnham Road, Peterhouse Crescent and Bullard’s Lane. They will no longer serve Martlesham Black Tiles or the Red Lion, travelling instead on the A12 between Woodbridge and the Martlesham Heath roundabout.
Service 65 will operate a limited number of journeys via Martlesham Tesco and some services to / from Rendlesham
Service 800 (Ipswich Park & Ride) has some peak hour changes and will no longer run beyond Martlesham Park and Ride site to Woodbridge, Melton and Rendlesham. In term-time, all buses towards London Road Park & Ride will call at Suffolk One College. The evening journeys to London Road Park & Ride operated by service 66 buses will be withdrawn. Evening service 66 buses to Martlesham will continue to call at Martlesham Park & Ride.
Service 66 (including X66|H66|67) Buses will operate a shorter route around Martlesham Heath, starting at Tesco via Gloster Road to Adastral Park and then back to Martlesham Heath roundabout via the A12. The 66 will no longer travel via Eagle Way. In Ipswich town centre, buses travelling between Tower Ramparts and Ipswich Rail Station will travel via Civic Drive not Museum Street. Buses travelling towards Martlesham will no longer go into Old Cattle Market Bus Station, and will instead use the stop at Dogs Head Street/Revolution.
Service X66 will no longer operate. Some morning 66 and 800 are revised to help those travelling to BT/Adastral Park (Gloster Road). There is a new timetable for services 67 /H66.
Service 68 “Hospital Service” will no longer operate. (Grange Farm – Kesgrave – Ipswich Hospital – Ipswich Town Centre). This service will be cancelled due to low passenger numbers on average across all the services.
Sue Hall, Kesgrave Town Council ‘s Public Transport Liaison Officer said:
“These cuts are a big shock to us, they have been made without any consultation. They will have a significant impact on passengers. Most importantly for Kesgrave it means we will lose our Hospital Bus Service. This is the service that residents campaigned for two years ago. The number 68 bus is the only bus service we have that runs into Ipswich Hospital grounds. We need to retain this to enable those with health conditions to access the hospital. I recognise that across the whole of the 68 service passenger numbers are lower than we had hoped for. But some key services are well used. And it’s important as a community that we find a way of retaining the well used services into the grounds of Ipswich Hospital.
The second significant loss for us is the loss of the hourly Park & Ride service to Woodbridge & Rendlesham. This is a truly excellent service and we desperately need to find a way of providing a good reliable bus service between Ipswich, Woodbridge and beyond. We have the Route 66 service running every 20 minutes between Martlesham and Ipswich, we need a similar service between Ipswich, Kesgrave and Woodbridge every 20 minutes – or even better every 15 minutes.
At a time when our local councils have declared climate emergencies, it sends out completely the wrong message to cut bus services. Other areas of the UK are investing in modern, low emission buses and offering high quality bus services which are attractive to passengers. If more people switched to buses we could cut traffic congestion and reduce air pollution. Bus services are also essential for those who don’t have cars. It’s time we had a fresh new approach to bus travel in Suffolk.”