As the holiday season unfolds, residents and visitors in Street, Glastonbury, Wells, and Shepton Mallet should note the upcoming bus service changes.

First Bus, the region's main bus operator, has released its Christmas and New Year schedule, impacting services from Christmas Eve until 2nd January.

Key Changes to First Bus Timetable During the Festive Period:

• Christmas Eve (24th December): Buses will adhere to a Sunday timetable with an early finish around 20:00. This includes the A1 and A3 services, which will run as usual for Sundays. Early finishing times for specific services are detailed in special timetables.
• Christmas Day (25th December): All bus services will be suspended.
• Boxing Day (26th December): Limited service with only the A1 running on the normal Monday-Friday timetable and the A3 following its usual Sunday schedule.
• 27th – 29th December: The A1 service will operate on the standard Monday-Friday timetable, with most other services following Saturday schedules. Some services will offer additional early morning journeys.
• 30th December: Buses will run on regular Saturday timetables.
• New Year's Eve (31st December): Normal Sunday service schedules, with service 39 offering extra late-night journeys.
• New Year's Day (1st January): Limited service, similar to Boxing Day, with only the A1 and A3 services operating.
• 2nd January: Bus services return to their regular schedules.

First West of England, Cymru and Worcester's Managing Director Doug Claringbold said: "We recognise that customers want transport during the festive period, but it's also important that we give our hard-working drivers some well-earned down time to celebrate with their family and friends.

"I'd like to thank all our customers who have travelled with us during the past year and wish you, and our future customers, a merry Christmas and a great new year, and we look forward to transporting you across our region in 2024 and beyond."

Residents and visitors in Street, Glastonbury, Wells, and Shepton Mallet are encouraged to check the First West of England website for the latest information on bus schedules during the holiday season.