P&R added to bus network map
We have recently updated our bus network map to include the Park and Ride. Our map shows the main frequent bus services that are suitable for commuting to work or regular travel.
There is also a separate map for North Colchester which gives more detail for people working at North Colchester Business Park and Colchester Hospital.
You can download the maps below.
Colchester’s frequent buses network map
North Colchester bus network map
*Please note, since we updated the map, First have withdrawn their 65 peak hour loop around the North Colchester Business Park, however it is currently still reflected on our map.
Colchester bus services – did you know?
If you have a direct bus service in walking distance of your house, why not try the bus as a greener and more sustainable way to travel into town or to work?
You can incorporate a bit of physical activity into your daily journey, and if your route has bus lanes you could reach your destination quicker than by car in peak hours especially if you factor in having to find a parking space.
Below we answer a few questions you might have about bus services in Colchester.
I live in Colchester, are there many frequent bus services? There are ten local bus services into the town centre provided by First and Arriva with a frequency of every 10 to 20 minutes.
Are there more buses suitable for commuting? There are 19 bus services into Colchester with an up to hourly frequency provided by First, Arriva, Hedinghams and Chambers.
How will I know when my bus will arrive? Download First and/or Arriva’s app that includes real time information, as well as route planning and timetable info. The electronic boards at some bus stops are now showing real time information.
Is there a ticket allowing travel on any bus? There is a range of multi-operator tickets including Day Rovers, Weekly to Annual Borough Cards, Evening and Sunday savers.
I never have cash on me. Buy a mobile ticket. First and Arriva sell M-Tickets for most of their products.
I only want to use the bus on some days. First offer carnet tickets for part time travel over 1 or 3 months.
It’s too expensive to travel with my children. First and Arriva offer Family tickets to discount travelling with children over 5 years old.
If you want to find out more about local bus travel, including downloading our frequent bus routes map, journey planners, links to the bus operators websites and apps click here
If the organisation you work for is a member of the Colchester Travel Plan Club (you can check here) , you usually travel to work by car but you would like to try the bus – we are offering some FREE First and Arriva carnet tickets for you to give it a go. Email travel.plan.club@colchester.gov.uk if you are interested.
Colchester’s frequent bus services
We will be continuing to promote bus travel in the New Year, and as a starting point have updated our commuters bus map. The map shows all Colchester bus services that run on an up to hourly frequency – quite a lot as you will see. Click on the map on the left to download it.
We have also created a NEW North Colchester bus map, showing the services that specifically serve the Business Park and Axial Way.
We need to further develop this map with key useful information – so if you have ideas of what you would like included drop us a line! Click on the North Colchester map to the right to download it.
Exciting new bus news
New! Park and Ride to stop at Colchester Hospital, 88 Bus Partnership, free hot drink at Leisure World for bus users!
Three pieces of exciting bus news to highlight this month!
Park and Ride will stop at Colchester Hospital in the New Year.
Great news for visitors and staff that the Park and Ride will be stopping at the hospital in January 2017. A day ticket will cost £3,(free after 9am for concessionary fare pass holders) and did you know that you can then use that ticket like a Rover to travel into town and back on the Park and Ride bus?
The details of the hospital stop aren’t available yet but use this link to find out more about the existing Colchester Park and Ride
New 88 Bus Partnership
If you live on the 88 route between Great Yeldham and Colchester, you can now benefit from a new partnership allowing tickets issued on the 88 services from different companies to be used on buses along any of the number 88 routes.
The route which takes in Earls Colne, White Colne, Wakes Colne, Halstead Road and Eight Ash Green as well as Colchester town centre, will now offer more flexibility in journey times due to the ability to catch any of the buses either end of the journey.
Each operator will accept day returns, weekly, monthly and annual tickets from Hedingham Buses and First Essex buses on the 88 bus route.
The new Quality Bus Partnership offers key advantages including:
- Ticket inter-availability – customers can buy a return ticket or pass from one operator and use it to return on another operator’s bus
- More flexibility in journeys thanks to better aligned schedules and routing
- Improved vehicle standards and accessibility
- Bus stop infrastructure improvements at key stops
If you live along this route and could consider getting the bus to work, you can find out more information here including a map of the routes covered.
Free hot drink for Leisure World bus users
Did you know there are now bus services serving Leisure World?
Between 7 November 2016 and 26 February 2017, if you travel by bus to Colchester Leisure World, you can claim a free hot drink in the Leisure World café, on presentation of your valid single or return bus ticket dated for that day.
The following bus routes are covered within the offer:
Weekday services
- 4 (Network Colchester) – Stanway – Lexden – Colchester – Greenstead – The Hythe
- 11 (Network Colchester) – Colchester Rail Station – Highwoods – Severalls Park – Mile End
- 63 (Hedingham Omnibuses) – Monkwick – St Michaels – Central Colchester – Cowdray Avenue
Sunday services
- 67B (First Essex) – West Mersea – Peldon – Blackheath – Colchester Town Centre – Leisure World
- 70 (Regal Busways) – Braintree – Coggeshall – Marks Tey – Stanway – Lexden -Colchester Town Centre – Leisure World
Please note that this offer is ONLY open to persons presenting a valid single or return ticket for the day – it does NOT apply to holders of any period tickets/passes.
Find out more including links to the route timetables HERE
Useful Public Transport info
Colchester Park and Ride New ticket machines are now in operation and the introductory fee has come to an end. Tickets now cost £3 per adult, £1 per child and under-fives travel for free. Weekly season tickets cost £12 for adults. Monthly season tickets cost £48 for adults. To find out more including how to use the new ticket machines, visit ECC’s website
New ‘Where to catch your bus in Colchester town centre’ poster now available from Essex County Council
Get monthly e-updates on local Public Transport information and timetable changes. ECC’s Passenger Transport team send out a monthly e-newsletter which you can subscribe to.
Keep up to date and follow your local bus operator. Most Colchester bus operators now operate their own twitter account, with details of delays, route changes, new services and more
Arriva Essex – @ArrivaEssex
Chambers – @ChambersBus
First Essex – @FirstEssex
Hedingham – @HedinghamBuses
Network Colchester – @NColchester
Stephensons of Essex – @BreezeBuses
ECC consultation on changes to bus services
ECC are also consulting on proposed changes to the bus services they support.
ECC say ‘The consultation sets out a proposed revised policy for doing this and the proposed revisions to the existing network that will result. The policy is based on responses to previous consultations which asked about people’s priorities.
The results of their draft Bus and Passenger Strategy consultation earlier in the year are also provided and it will be of interest to Travel Plan reps that the feedback on key issues reflects the findings of the bus surveys we have carried out amongst members.
The issues that people raise most often when asked how their service could be improved were:
· Design, comfort and condition of the bus.
· Punctuality: people want buses to be on time.
· Drivers: people want their drivers to interact positively with them as customers and to be considerate of them as passengers.
· Information: people want better real time information at all points in their journey.
· Frequency and routes: people want frequent buses on convenient routes
The current consultation is about changes to specific bus routes, particularly timetables in the evenings and at weekends and lists each service (by district) and says what the proposed change is (if any) plus the reasons why.
It is a bit of a laborious process going through the online survey, but the survey doesn’t require an answer to every question, so you can just scroll down until you find the bus service/s that you are interested in and skip the rest.
It is worth encouraging colleagues and students who might use these services to respond as individuals if these changes affect them.
The CTPC will send a response based on a review of the proposed revised policies. If you have any specific points you want including please let us know.
The deadline is the 21 October.
Are you a bus user?
We have just launched a bus users survey for members of the Travel Plan Club.
We want to hear back from bus users about your journey to work or to where you study. The survey covers all aspects of your bus experience including your satisfaction with:
- Reliability
- Bus drivers and quality of driving
- Bus stops
- The vehicle
Why are we doing the survey? Well in 2013 we want to do more to encourage members to use the bus particularly for their journey to work and studies. However before we do this, we feel we need a better understanding of how existing bus users find local services.
The survey will give us some insight into what is good and not so good about local services and facilities for bus users. We can then use this data for a number of purposes to:
- Work more closely with the bus operators and high way authority to help improve services
- Tell others what is good about travelling by bus and to break down some of the barriers that may stop more people from using the bus
The survey is open until the 13 May and takes 5 – 15 minutes to complete depending on whether you regularly use one or more bus operators.
So if you are a bus user we would really welcome your feedback. Thanks for your help.