A BUS firm has announced plans to shake-up dozens of routes across Colchester.

First Essex will make the changes from Sunday (April 17) across the borough.

The firm says the changes are "in response to the change in our travel habits" with people travelling less often and being unsure about work timetables.

A First spokesman said: "These changes are designed to deliver sustainable networks, that are easier to use and continue to provide the ability to travel around the towns and villages across the county on our services.

"Some buses will run earlier and later in the day, some more often, some less often and there will be new networks in the Basildon, Chelmsford and Colchester areas.

"Buses that connect the local suburbs to the centre of Basildon, Chelmsford and Colchester will be replaced by locally focussed services with simple, regular timetables, simple, easy to use fares starting at £2.50 for an adult and with new, newer, or fully refurbished vehicles being introduced over the coming months with a new red based colour scheme.

"We have already simplified the fares in Chelmsford and Colchester and from the same date we will be bringing the same flexible way to pay, for bus travel, by introducing Tap&Cap to Basildon.

"Unfortunately, we are having to increase a small number of ticket prices in south Essex. However, we are not increasing any other fares at this time in recognition of the fact we are all paying more for daily essentials."

Routes 61, 62, 64, 65, 66 and 67 (and their variants) will be withdrawn and replaced by the new Colchester shuttle network, with ten new routes.

The changes to routes in Colchester

  • Route S1 will replace route 61 on a slightly reduced frequency from Highwoods to Wivenhoe via the Town Centre.
  • Route S2 will replace route 65 between Highwoods and Stanway again with a slightly reduced frequency. Between routes S1 and S2 buses will run every 10 minutes between Highwoods and the town centre.
  • Route S3 replaces route 66 between West Bergholt and the town centre. In the town centre, some buses will change to route S9 to Rowhedge, in the High Street, and others will continue to Osborne Street to start their return journey. Buses will now run every 30 minutes in the morning then every 60 minutes during the day before running every 30 minutes in the afternoon peak period again. On Saturdays, buses will run every 60 minutes and every 90 minutes on Sundays.
  • Route S4 replaces the Greenstead section of routes 64 and 64A; but will now run as a clockwise loop every 12 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays. Buses will leave the town via Magdalen Street and Hythe Railway Station then from Avon Road will serve Hawthorn Avenue, Forest Road, Hickory Avenue, Hawthorn Avenue, Magnolia Drive and Hamlet Drive before returning to the town via Avon Way.
  • Routes S6 and S7 replace routes 64 and 64A between the town and Shrub End with each route running every 30 minutes to provide a bus every 15 minutes along Layer Road. On Sundays each route runs every 60 minutes so there is still a bus every 30 minutes along Layer Road.
  • New route S8 connects the Gosfield Road area of Monkwick to the town centre every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday, every 30 minutes on Sunday. Leaving the town centre via Mersea Road buses will serve Queen Elizabeth Way, Monkwick Avenue, Berechurch Hall Road to the Lethe Grove stops and Gosfield Road before returning to the town centre via Monkwick Avenue and Queen Elizabeth Way.
  • Route S9 will replace route 66 from Rowhedge to the town centre, and will run every 60 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday with extra buses at peak times and every 90 minutes on Sundays. Some journeys will continue to Colchester Railway Station and West Bergholt as route S3.
  • Route S10 replaces route 62B as the University term only service from the town centre but via East Hill instead of Magdalen Street to the University and Wivenhoe Park bus stop.

A further seven bus service changes will be introduced on routes connecting the borough with places like Chelmsford and Maldon.

Changes to Essex Bus services to Colchester:

  • New route 86 will replace route 67, from West Mersea to Colchester, running every hour with a quicker journey time (this is possible due to no longer serving the residential area of Monkwick). Off-peak, and on Saturdays, buses will extend beyond the town centre to Colchester Railway Station and Colchester General Hospital.
  • New route 87 will replace route 62 from Brightlingsea to Colchester Railway Centre but to provide better links across the town it will continue to Malvern Way, Horksley Heath (providing direct links from Horksley Heath direct to the University).
  • The evening short journeys to Wivenhoe Co-Op, that currently operate as route 62B, will now be route 87 and use East Hill to leave the town centre.
  • Routes 70 and 71 to Chelmsford will be replaced by routes 370 and 371 between Colchester and Chelmsford and run hourly with extra buses in the peaks.
  • Route 75A will be withdrawn with journeys on route 75, to Maldon, running via Church Road and Station Road (in Tiptree) on all journeys and some journeys starting there where needed. Route 75 will also extend to Colchester General Hospital via Colchester Railway Station to provide more links from the south of the town to these areas.
  • Routes 103 and 104 have a minor timetable change.