Ulink
Encyclopedia
Wessex Red is the brand for bus
services run under contract for the University of the West of England
and the University of Bristol
in Bristol
by Wessex Connect
. The services originally began in September 2007 for students and staff of UWE only. However since September 2008 the bus services have been opened up for the general public to use. Also, since September 2010, the services have been provided for students and staff at University of Bristol, by advertising 'transport for everyone' on the side of the branded buses.
The service has proved incredibly popular with students and staff at UWE, with demand increasing by over 100% after its first year in existence; passenger numbers at September 2008 were at around 6,000 per day.
Since September 2011 5 former Red Diamond Bus
Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE
s have been transferred to Wessex Red in order to operate regular duplicates in order to meet demand for services. The U4 & U1 services often being the worst for overcrowding at peaks times.
Other Wessex Connect
buses occasionally substitute those listed above.
and Horfield
along Filton Avenue, then through Bishopston
along Gloucester Road. At the Haymarket, the U1 proceeds towards Cabot Circus
and serves Bond Street and Wine Street. It then continues on to Temple Meads Station, and terminates at UWE's Bower Ashton
campus. The route runs in both directions at a 20 minute frequency during the day during term-time on Monday to Friday until about 8pm. The whole journey from Frenchay to Bower Ashton usually takes just less than an hour.
. The service runs half-hourly between Frenchay Campus and Broadmead via Glenside, St. Matthias and Fishponds on Saturdays and Sundays during term-time only.
directly linking the Centre of Bristol with Frenchay Campus, taking pressure off all the other routes. In the morning and evening peaks, up to four buses an hour run, with the off-peak service being hourly. The service operates during term-time on Monday to Friday only.
and Clifton
, before entering a loop at the Centre which proceeds via The Clifton Triangle, Park Street, The Centre, Bristol Royal Infirmary
and back up to the Clifton Triangle. The service runs every 20 minutes during the day all year round Mondays to Fridays, with a service provision of every 90 minutes on Saturdays during term-time only.
The U6 runs at a 15 minute frequency between Stoke Bishop and Tyndall's Park during term-time weekdays, with the frequency increasing in the peaks to every 10 minutes. On Saturdays and Sundays during term-time a U6 service between Tyndall's Park and Stoke Bishop is extended to sever Temple Meads via The Centre runs every 40 and 60 minutes respectively.
Fares can be bought on-bus with a 16% discount on the card compared to the cash price with money which is pre-loaded on the card.
Because of its success, Wessex Connect have extended their smartcard coverage. The trial of smartcards proved propular, and as a result the Liberty Smartcard has been launched by Wessex Connect which "is designed to make travelling with Wessex Connect easier and cheaper - thus giving more freedom to travel".
An adult single costs £2.00, and a child single costs £1.00.
If purchased with cash pre-loaded on a smartcard, the adult single fare is reduced by 16% to £1.67.
for one day on all Wessex Red routes.
If purchased with cash pre-loaded on a smartcard, the adult dayrider is reduced by 16% to £2.50.
Students and staff are able to buy:
In the summer of 2009 a route was considered to directly link Gloucester Road with UWE's St. Matthias and Glenside
campuses. But, the plans were shelved due to the unpredictable nature of the traffic conditions along the three different
corridors which the route would operate over.
Sept 2007 - Five new Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE
s were bought in to create the Ulink brand. Three routes were introduced; the U1 and U2 both took
a journey to the Centre of Bristol from Frenchay Campus via Filton Avenue and Gloucester Road. While the U2 terminated in Broadmead, the U1 continued to
Temple Meads Station and Bower Ashton
. The U3 started at Frenchay Campus and served Glenside and St. Matthias Campuses before proceeding via Fishponds to Broadmead.
Jan 2008 - An increase in the frequency of U1 and U3 services to two buses an hour. U4 service introduced which took a direct route from Frenchay Campus into
the Centre of Bristol via the M32
.
June 2008 - First withdraw their X84 and 99 services which were popular among students, after "customer demand on these services had declined for some time". The
X84 ran direct from Frenchay to the Centre via the M32, while the 99 ran via Clifton
.
Sept 2008 - Ulink's service area broadened after they introduced a U5 route to replace First's popular route 99 which they withdrew in June 2008. The route follows the U1 and U2 along
Filton Avenue, then turns up to Gloucester Road and navigates through Henleaze and Clifton before performing a circular route around town via Park Street and the
Bristol Royal Infirmary
.
Nov 2008 - An extra bus an hour was put on the U3 and the frequency of the U2 was quadrupled to twice an hour after it was found that 6,000 people a day used Ulink (over 100% increase on end of previous year).
The increases in service were to combat the increasing overcrowding problem on the buses.
Jan 2009 - More weekend services were introduced on the U2 and U3 routes.
Sept 2009 - Rotala
transferred 7 buses from Black Diamond (a subsidiary of Central Connect
) in Birmingham into the Ulink fleet in Bristol to uphold the agreement in their contract
with the University of the West of England so they could provide more services.
The buses were given a new red/black Ulink livery before being put into service from September 2009. The frequency of the U3 was increased to four buses an hour between
Frenchay and St. Matt's, and the U4 timetable also saw enhancements seeing two buses an hour in peak times. Over the summer Wessex Connect began integrating
smartcards onto the service to make it easier for passengers to pay for and use bus passes.
April 2010 - Ulink bus services now appear on real-time information displays at bus stops and on the Acis Live website at http://www.nextbusbristol.co.uk, allowing
passengers to track how long their bus will be until it arrives at their bus stop. The facility is provided by Acis
.
September 2010 - U6 service launched linking UoB's Stoke Bishop accommodation with Whiteladies Road, Tyndall's Park and the Woodland Road campus. U6A service also launched complimenting the U6 but also being extended to UWE's Bower Ashton campus. Services run every 15 minutes combined during term time weekdays. U3 buses that continued to Broadmead are cut back to Old Market roundabout in an attempt to improve reliability, and the U2 frequency increased to 3x an hour between September and Christmas 2010; whether it will return this September permanently is unknown.
June 2011 - Withdrawal of the U6A, It was announced on the Ulink website in March that the U6A (which was an extension of the U6 to UWE's Bower Ashton Campus) will be withdrawn after term finishes on the 17th June 2011 due to low passenger usage. The money saved from operating this route will instead be used to improve the U1 service which also serves UWE's Bower Ashton Campus.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services run under contract for the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
and the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
by Wessex Connect
Wessex Connect
Wessex Connect was founded in Bristol by Rotala, through its subsidiary company Flights Hallmark, to provide Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council with an alternative to the near monopoly currently held in the city by FirstGroup....
. The services originally began in September 2007 for students and staff of UWE only. However since September 2008 the bus services have been opened up for the general public to use. Also, since September 2010, the services have been provided for students and staff at University of Bristol, by advertising 'transport for everyone' on the side of the branded buses.
The service has proved incredibly popular with students and staff at UWE, with demand increasing by over 100% after its first year in existence; passenger numbers at September 2008 were at around 6,000 per day.
Fleet
There are at least 26 buses which operate on Ulink's eight routes.- 7 Plaxton CentroPlaxton CentroThe Plaxton Centro is a bus body designed by Bluebird Vehicles and manufactured by Plaxton. It was launched on the VDL SB120 in February 2006. The Centro was also made available on the VDL SB200 chassis in 2006. In 2007 the Centro was made available on the MAN 12.240 and the Volvo B7RLE chassis....
Volvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
s (ex Diamond BusDiamond BusDiamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....
) - 5 Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
s - 4 Alexander DennisAlexander DennisAlexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
ALX400s which for 2010/2011 sported a white variant of the Ulink livery for the U6 - 4 Wright Eclipse GeminiWright Eclipse GeminiThe Wright Eclipse Gemini is a type of double-decker bus body built for Volvo B7TL and later Volvo B9TL and Volvo B5L Hybrid for use in the United Kingdom....
Volvo B9TLVolvo B9TLThe Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo Buses since 2002. It superseded the older Volvo B10TL and the Volvo B7TL.-Chassis:...
s (new for September 2011) - 5 Scania OmniCityScania OmniCityThe Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
Single deck buses, 1 ex demo (new September 2011) - 2 Scania OmniCityScania OmniCityThe Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
, one ex demo in Wessex Connect white livery.
Since September 2011 5 former Red Diamond Bus
Diamond Bus
Diamond is a bus operator in the West Midlands, formed in 1986 as The Birmingham Coach Company.-Birmingham Coach Company:The company was created in 1986 as the Birmingham Coach Company operating a single route, 16, in competition with West Midlands Travel....
Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
s have been transferred to Wessex Red in order to operate regular duplicates in order to meet demand for services. The U4 & U1 services often being the worst for overcrowding at peaks times.
Other Wessex Connect
Wessex Connect
Wessex Connect was founded in Bristol by Rotala, through its subsidiary company Flights Hallmark, to provide Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council with an alternative to the near monopoly currently held in the city by FirstGroup....
buses occasionally substitute those listed above.
Routes
Wessex Red's current service is made up of eight routes, six of which start from/terminate at UWE's Frenchay Campus. The other is targeted at the University of Bristol's Woodland Road campus.U1
Starting from Frenchay Campus, the U1 takes its route through FiltonFilton
Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34. The town centres upon Filton Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is a grade II listed building...
and Horfield
Horfield
Horfield is a suburb of the city of Bristol, in southwest England. It lies on Bristol's northern edge, its border with Filton marking part of the boundary between Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Bishopston lies directly to the south. Monks Park and Golden Hill are to the west. Lockleaze and...
along Filton Avenue, then through Bishopston
Bishopston
-Places:England* Bishopston, Bristol, a suburb of the city of BristolWales* Bishopston, Swansea, a suburb of the city of Swansea* Bishopston , the name of an electoral ward and coterminous community of the same name in the City and County of Swansea...
along Gloucester Road. At the Haymarket, the U1 proceeds towards Cabot Circus
Cabot Circus
Cabot Circus is a shopping centre in Bristol, England. It is adjacent to Broadmead, a shopping district in Bristol city centre. The Cabot Circus development area contains shops, offices, a cinema, hotel and 250 apartments. It covers a total of floor space, of which is retail outlets and leisure...
and serves Bond Street and Wine Street. It then continues on to Temple Meads Station, and terminates at UWE's Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton is a small district in south west Bristol on the western boundary with North Somerset, lying within the Southville ward, approximately two miles from the city centre...
campus. The route runs in both directions at a 20 minute frequency during the day during term-time on Monday to Friday until about 8pm. The whole journey from Frenchay to Bower Ashton usually takes just less than an hour.
U2
Starting from Frenchay Campus, the U2 follows the route of the U1 until the Haymarket roundabout at the end of the Gloucester Road where it proceeds into The Centre. The service runs in both directions at a hourly frequency during the week all year round. The service also runs at an hourly frequency on Saturdays and Sundays during term-time only.U3
The U3 runs every 20 minutes during the day all year round Mondays to Fridays between Frenchay Campus and Broadmead via Glenside, St. Matthias, Fishponds and Stapleton RoadStapleton Road railway station
Stapleton Road railway station lies in the inner city area of Easton, Bristol, England.It is a railway station on the Severn Beach Line; although it is also served by hourly trains between Gloucester and Westbury....
. The service runs half-hourly between Frenchay Campus and Broadmead via Glenside, St. Matthias and Fishponds on Saturdays and Sundays during term-time only.
U4
Express service which runs via the M32M32
M32 may refer to:* Messier 32, an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Andromeda* M32 motorway, a motorway in Bristol, England* M-32 , a state highway traversing northern lower Michigan from the town of East Jordan to the city of Alpena...
directly linking the Centre of Bristol with Frenchay Campus, taking pressure off all the other routes. In the morning and evening peaks, up to four buses an hour run, with the off-peak service being hourly. The service operates during term-time on Monday to Friday only.
U5
Starting from Frenchay Campus, the U5 mirrors the route of the U1 and U2 until Horfield, where it turns up Wessex Avenue and along Gloucester Road. It then proceeds through HenleazeHenleaze
Henleaze is a northern suburb of the city of Bristol in South West England.It is an almost entirely residential inter-war development, with Edwardian streets on its southern fringes. Its main neighbours are Westbury on Trym, Horfield, Bishopston and Redland...
and Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
, before entering a loop at the Centre which proceeds via The Clifton Triangle, Park Street, The Centre, Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
and back up to the Clifton Triangle. The service runs every 20 minutes during the day all year round Mondays to Fridays, with a service provision of every 90 minutes on Saturdays during term-time only.
U6
Starting from the University of Bristol accommodation in Stoke Bishop, the U6 largely follow Westbury Road and Whiteladies Road via Clifton Down Station down to the Woodland Road campus and Tyndall's Park.The U6 runs at a 15 minute frequency between Stoke Bishop and Tyndall's Park during term-time weekdays, with the frequency increasing in the peaks to every 10 minutes. On Saturdays and Sundays during term-time a U6 service between Tyndall's Park and Stoke Bishop is extended to sever Temple Meads via The Centre runs every 40 and 60 minutes respectively.
U7/U7A
New service from 18 September 2011 linking UWE Frenchay with the MOD, Bristol Parkway station, Bradley Stoke, Aztec West, and Cribbs Causeway. During the week, U7A provides services between Frenchay and Aztec West in the morning and afternoon peaks, with U7 operating largely in the off-peak periods to Cribbs Causeway. Services run generally with a 30-60-30-60 pattern. On Saturdays a half-hourly service is provided between Frenchay and Cribbs Causeway, and on Sundays a service every 45 minutes runs. All U7 journeys operate all year. The U7/U7A is intended as a part replacement for the 71/72 service in and around the Bradley Stoke area.U8
New service from 18 September 2011 intended as a replacement for the 71/72 services provided by Wessex Connect for commuters to/from Bradley Stoke into the City Centre. The service operates all year round with southbound services in the peak hours only, and northbound services from the Centre in the evening rush hour.Smartcards
After a successful trial, staff, students and the general public can now pay for tickets at a discounted rate or hold season tickets on a Wessex Red smartcard.Fares can be bought on-bus with a 16% discount on the card compared to the cash price with money which is pre-loaded on the card.
Because of its success, Wessex Connect have extended their smartcard coverage. The trial of smartcards proved propular, and as a result the Liberty Smartcard has been launched by Wessex Connect which "is designed to make travelling with Wessex Connect easier and cheaper - thus giving more freedom to travel".
Tickets available
The following are the tickets available to purchase or use on Wessex Red services.Singles
These are fixed price for all journeys no matter what the length, and are competitive with other bus services.An adult single costs £2.00, and a child single costs £1.00.
If purchased with cash pre-loaded on a smartcard, the adult single fare is reduced by 16% to £1.67.
Day Tickets
Return tickets are not available, so dayriders are often purchased - these cost £3.00 for adults or £1.50 for children and give unlimited travelfor one day on all Wessex Red routes.
If purchased with cash pre-loaded on a smartcard, the adult dayrider is reduced by 16% to £2.50.
Monthly and Annual Passes
The general public can purchase a monthly pass for £42 and an annual pass for £420.Students and staff are able to buy:
- Monthly passes for £39
- Termly passes for £93
- 3 Term pass for £274 for U.W.E students £249 for U.O.B students
- Annual pass for £309
Future plans
Timetables for Wessex Red's new service from 4 September 2011 have been published - and the changes are as follows:- U1/U2 - U1 to Bower Ashton increased to 3x per hour during the day with services running slightly later. U2 has been reduced to once an hour (because of the increase in U1 provision) however this means no reduction in service overall as there are still 4 services an hour between Frenchay/Filton Avenue/Gloucester Road/Central Bristol. All U2 weekday journeys now run all year rather than just in term time, and the weekend service has also been enhanced to give an hourly frequency on Saturdays and Sundays; the weekend service runs in term time only, however.
- U3 - Flyer Services between Frenchay and St. Matthias have been scrapped in lieu for a 20-minute weekday frequency between Frenchay, Glenside, St. Matthias, Fishponds, and Old Market. All weekday U3 journeys will now run all year rather than just in term time, providing good competition to First's buses that run down the Fishponds Road route into Old Market. Services run later into the evening on weekdays, and the weekend service has been enhanced; notably with buses every half an hour during most of the day on Sunday. Weekend services only run in UWE term-time.
- U4 - Minor changes to the timetable, with more buses in the morning and afternoon peaks. Last bus from Frenchay is half an hour later.
- U5 - Increase in frequency to 3x per hour across the route, and all weekday journeys will run throughout the year rather than just in UWE term times. Saturday service has been retained with the timetable gaining a clockface 90-minute frequency compared to the sporadic service provided in the previous year.
- U6 - No major changes to the weekday timetable, except the provision of 6 buses an hour between Stoke Bishop and UoB Woodland Road in the morning peaks, with the frequency being 4 buses per hour during the rest of the day, and then 2 buses an hour in the evenings. The U6 is extended to Temple Meads via The Centre on Saturdays and Sundays.
- U7/U7A - New service from 18 September 2011 linking UWE Frenchay with the MOD, Bristol Parkway station, Bradley Stoke, Aztec West, and Cribbs Causeway. During the week, U7A provides services between Frenchay and Aztec West in the morning and afternoon peaks, with U7 operating largely in the off-peak periods to Cribbs Causeway. Services run generally with a 30-60-30-60 pattern. On Saturdays a half-hourly service is provided between Frenchay and Cribbs Causeway, and on Sundays a service every 45 minutes runs. All U7 journeys operate all year. The U7/U7A is intended as a part replacement for the 71/72 service in and around the Bradley Stoke area.
- U8 - New service from 18 September 2011 intended as a replacement for the 71/72 services provided by Wessex Connect for commuters to/from Bradley Stoke into the City Centre. The service operates all year round with southbound services in the peak hours only, and northbound services from the Centre in the evening rush hour.
In the summer of 2009 a route was considered to directly link Gloucester Road with UWE's St. Matthias and Glenside
Glenside, Bristol
Glenside campus is the home of the School of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England , Bristol. It is located on Blackberry Hill in the suburb of Fishponds...
campuses. But, the plans were shelved due to the unpredictable nature of the traffic conditions along the three different
corridors which the route would operate over.
History
Before 2007 - UWE had a 'UWE Flyer' shuttle service which ran between Frenchay Campus, Glenside Campus and St. Matthias Campus.Sept 2007 - Five new Wright Eclipse Urban Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
s were bought in to create the Ulink brand. Three routes were introduced; the U1 and U2 both took
a journey to the Centre of Bristol from Frenchay Campus via Filton Avenue and Gloucester Road. While the U2 terminated in Broadmead, the U1 continued to
Temple Meads Station and Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton
Bower Ashton is a small district in south west Bristol on the western boundary with North Somerset, lying within the Southville ward, approximately two miles from the city centre...
. The U3 started at Frenchay Campus and served Glenside and St. Matthias Campuses before proceeding via Fishponds to Broadmead.
Jan 2008 - An increase in the frequency of U1 and U3 services to two buses an hour. U4 service introduced which took a direct route from Frenchay Campus into
the Centre of Bristol via the M32
M32
M32 may refer to:* Messier 32, an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Andromeda* M32 motorway, a motorway in Bristol, England* M-32 , a state highway traversing northern lower Michigan from the town of East Jordan to the city of Alpena...
.
June 2008 - First withdraw their X84 and 99 services which were popular among students, after "customer demand on these services had declined for some time". The
X84 ran direct from Frenchay to the Centre via the M32, while the 99 ran via Clifton
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
.
Sept 2008 - Ulink's service area broadened after they introduced a U5 route to replace First's popular route 99 which they withdrew in June 2008. The route follows the U1 and U2 along
Filton Avenue, then turns up to Gloucester Road and navigates through Henleaze and Clifton before performing a circular route around town via Park Street and the
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
.
Nov 2008 - An extra bus an hour was put on the U3 and the frequency of the U2 was quadrupled to twice an hour after it was found that 6,000 people a day used Ulink (over 100% increase on end of previous year).
The increases in service were to combat the increasing overcrowding problem on the buses.
Jan 2009 - More weekend services were introduced on the U2 and U3 routes.
Sept 2009 - Rotala
Rotala
Rotala is an Alternative Investment Market listed company, which owns a variety of UK transport operators.Rotala was set up in 2005, with the main intention of acquiring or gaining majority interest in businesses within a number of areas.-Surrey Connect:...
transferred 7 buses from Black Diamond (a subsidiary of Central Connect
Central Connect
Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations. It operates in a number of mainly urban places in the United Kingdom, with the regional brand names reflecting the places served.-Central Connect/Blue Diamond:...
) in Birmingham into the Ulink fleet in Bristol to uphold the agreement in their contract
with the University of the West of England so they could provide more services.
The buses were given a new red/black Ulink livery before being put into service from September 2009. The frequency of the U3 was increased to four buses an hour between
Frenchay and St. Matt's, and the U4 timetable also saw enhancements seeing two buses an hour in peak times. Over the summer Wessex Connect began integrating
smartcards onto the service to make it easier for passengers to pay for and use bus passes.
April 2010 - Ulink bus services now appear on real-time information displays at bus stops and on the Acis Live website at http://www.nextbusbristol.co.uk, allowing
passengers to track how long their bus will be until it arrives at their bus stop. The facility is provided by Acis
ACIS
The 3D ACIS Modeler is a 3D modelling kernel owned by Spatial Corporation . ACIS is used by many software developers in industries such as computer-aided design , Computer-aided manufacturing , Computer-aided engineering , Architecture, engineering and construction , Coordinate-measuring machine...
.
September 2010 - U6 service launched linking UoB's Stoke Bishop accommodation with Whiteladies Road, Tyndall's Park and the Woodland Road campus. U6A service also launched complimenting the U6 but also being extended to UWE's Bower Ashton campus. Services run every 15 minutes combined during term time weekdays. U3 buses that continued to Broadmead are cut back to Old Market roundabout in an attempt to improve reliability, and the U2 frequency increased to 3x an hour between September and Christmas 2010; whether it will return this September permanently is unknown.
June 2011 - Withdrawal of the U6A, It was announced on the Ulink website in March that the U6A (which was an extension of the U6 to UWE's Bower Ashton Campus) will be withdrawn after term finishes on the 17th June 2011 due to low passenger usage. The money saved from operating this route will instead be used to improve the U1 service which also serves UWE's Bower Ashton Campus.
Redbranding to Wessex Red
From 4 September 2011 Ulink was rebranded, and became Wessex Red. This was an attempt to get more of the public using the service, and to keep the services within the same naming convention as Wessex Connect's other services.See also
- List of bus routes in Bristol
- Wessex ConnectWessex ConnectWessex Connect was founded in Bristol by Rotala, through its subsidiary company Flights Hallmark, to provide Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council with an alternative to the near monopoly currently held in the city by FirstGroup....
- List of bus operators of the United Kingdom