Hop on a bus this Bank Holiday weekend and during the school holidays

Wiltshire Council, in partnership with local bus operators, has recently introduced two new bus services and brought forward to 9am the time that concessionary bus passes can be used, making it easier to travel by bus throughout the county. Kids can also travel free on Faresaver buses and children under 7 years can travel free on Salisbury Reds buses during the school holidays.

The new D1x service now provides a more direct connection into and out of Bath, via the Bradford Road, Sally in the Woods and London Road, and it will make limited stops in Farleigh Wick. When combined with the D1, the new service increases the frequency of buses between Bath, Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge to two per hour. It will have more space for passengers too because it will not pass under the low railway bridge at Limpley Stoke and will be able to use double decker vehicles.

The X34 service between Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge now operates on Sundays making it easier to travel by bus for shopping trips, leisure and when visiting friends.

These new services, which have been supported through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding, meets our Business Plan commitment to have well-connected communities, and at just £2 per journey until the end of this year, the D1x and X34 are a great choice for shopping trips, leisure journeys, visiting friends and for work commutes.

In the east of the county, the Wiltshire Connect bookable bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough areas, is offering fares for just £1 for all rides booked on a Saturday until the end of June 2024. Simply enter the promo code SAT24 into the Wiltshire Connect booking app to benefit from the reduced fare.

Unlike a typical bus service, Wiltshire Connect vehicles operate on a pre-bookable, on-demand basis, allowing you to travel between any designated pick-up and drop-off point within each zone. You can travel between any location within the three operating zones, Pewsey Vale, Marlborough and Great Bedwyn, and Marlborough and Hungerford.

Cllr Tamara Reay, Cabinet Member for Transport, said, A key priority in our Business Plan is a commitment to having vibrant, well-connected communities, and to increase the use of public transport. The new D1x and X34 bus services are great examples of the work we're doing to make this a reality.

I am also delighted that concessionary bus passes for older and disabled people can now be used from 9am on weekdays, which gives those with concessionary bus passes more flexibility to get around. Pass holders will still be able to use their bus pass at any time to travel at weekends.

We have worked closely with our local bus operators to introduce these new services and promotions, and I hope that the increased availability of buses will encourage more people to use them when out and about over the Bank Holiday weekend and during the school half term holidays.

The new D1x runs hourly from around 5am until 7pm Monday to Saturday, with the first trip into Bath leaving Trowbridge at 5.55am and the last trip out of Bath at 6.35pm. Combined with the D1 bus service, this means there are now two buses per hour between Trowbridge and Bath. Visit https://www.firstbus.co.uk/bristol-bath-and-west (opens new window) for bus times.

The new X34 Sunday service runs hourly from 9.20am until 6.49pm, with the first buses leaving Trowbridge and Chippenham at 9.20am and the last buses leaving at 6.20pm. Visit https://faresaver.co.uk/ (opens new window) for weekday, Saturday and Sunday bus times.

The Wiltshire Connect booking app can be found on Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ioki.wiltshire&hl=en_US (opens new window) or Apple App Store - https://apps.apple.com/kh/app/wiltshire-connect/id6445890754 (opens new window) or by calling 01225 712900.

Smart technology will match up your journey with any other passengers travelling in the same direction.