SEVERAL changes – including the introduction of new services – have been announced for Newport Bus services from this weekend.

Newport Bus has made changes to its timetable based on passenger numbers during the free travel period on Newport Bus services in March.

These changes include the re-introduction of timetabled Sunday services from Bettws and a new route – 9 A/C – serving Spytty Retail Park.

A new route – 5 – will link Newport to Gwent Europark, between Newport and Magor, and will be built around workers’ shifts at the Tesco and Wilko distribution centres.

It is hoped the changes will improve the availability of fflecsi services in other areas.

The changes to the timetable will come into effect from Sunday, April 24.

Morgan Stevens, operations director for Newport Transport explains: “These are the first steps towards an improved network, that will meet the needs of the communities whilst providing an adequate alternative to cars.

“Our new schedule has been developed to ensure that the service offered is reliable and sustainable, albeit still less than what the people of Newport enjoyed pre-covid.

“Since the pandemic, Newport Bus, like all other bus operators across the UK have been affected by a reduced number of drivers.

“As a company, we have made considerable investments in our staff’s terms and conditions over the last two years and increased our recruitment activities. Our drivers are key in providing increased service to the communities and therefore, they need to be recognised as such.

“We trust that the people of Newport and others served by our network will appreciate these significant improvements.”

The list of changes are as follows:

  • 2A/C Newport – Gaer: The Saturday service will now operate hourly;
  • 5 Newport – Gwent Europark: This new service will operate in each direction four times a day from stand five to serve both Wilko and Tesco Distribution Centres at the Gwent Europark. This is service is open to all;
  • 9A/C Newport – Ringland and Newport Retail Park: This is a new Sunday service from stand six that will operate to the Newport Retail Park in Spytty, two-hourly in each direction. It will serve Corporation Road, Cromwell Road, Ringland, Aberthaw Road and Chepstow Road;
  • 15/16 Newport – Bettws: Both services will now depart from stand one in the bus station. The timetable has been slightly adjusted. A new Monday to Saturday early morning and late evening journeys are added as well as an hourly Sunday service;
  • 19E Newport – Malpas: All journeys will depart from stand two. There are slight changes to the timetables, particularly the Saturday journeys serving Blaen-Y-Pant, Oliphant Circle and Montgomery Road. Two journeys added via Montgomery Road from Monday to Friday and one additional journey on Saturdays;
  • 20A/C Newport – Newport Retail Park: All journeys will now depart from stand five;
  • 26A/C Newport – St Julians: The Saturday service will now operate hourly instead of two-hourly. On Saturdays, the service will no longer operate via Clevedon Road/Tennyson Road;
  • 29 Newport – Cwmbran: All Sunday departures from Newport will operate 20 minutes later, from 8.20am until 7.20pm every hour.;
  • 37 Newport – Rhiwderin:  All journeys will depart from stand ten. On Saturdays, the 11am return journey from Newport is replaced by a journey at 10.15am;
  • 40/41 Newport – Pillgwenlly: All journeys will depart from stand ten;
  • 60 Newport – Monmouth: On Saturdays, the first journey in each direction operates 20 minutes earlier. There are slight changes to the overall timetable;
  • 73 Newport – Chepstow: On Saturdays, the 11.05am from Newport and 3.05pm from Chepstow will divert via Mathern. There are also minor revisions to the timetable;
  • 74 Newport – Chepstow: The route of the service to Chepstow will change to go via Somerton Road and Newport Retail Park, providing an additional evening service to the retail park from the city centre;
  • X74 Newport – Chepstow: Some journeys will divert to serve the Gwent Europark, Tesco distribution centre only;
  • B1 Mount Pleasant – Bassaleg School: The two buses will be replaced by one bus. The route is: start from The Uplands, then Tredegar Arms, loop the Mount Pleasant estate then direct to the school via Chartist Drive and the A467;
  • SJ1 Ringland – St. Joseph’s RC High School: The morning journey will operate 10 minutes earlier at 8am;
  • SJ12 Cwmbran – St. Joseph’s RC High School: The morning journey is replaced by a similar journey on the regular route 29 service. This service will operate through to St. Joseph’s RC High School. Pupils will not need to change at the bus station. The afternoon journeys are unchanged;
  • YGI1 and YGI2 Ysgol Gwent Is Coed: Revised running times for the afternoon journeys to reflect the current schedule.

More information can be found on the revised timetable at newportbus.co.uk