At 6:57 PM, the inbound 4 pauses at De Clifford Road exactly when the timetable suggested it might. This citylines east Scania N280UD carries its biogas cylinders toward the centre while 66 percent of the wider network struggles with the evening rush.
A 22mph wind at Bristol Parkway makes for a long wait for the outbound 74, currently delayed by twenty-three minutes. FirstGroup’s £141 million in share buybacks since 2025 might have funded more than a few reliable drivers, but shareholders generally take precedence over the people of
The inbound m3 haunts the S2 stop at Cabot Circus eighteen minutes later than promised. A 9.3-litre engine provides little comfort to passengers watching the evening light fade over Stokes Croft.
On Chesterfield Road at 5:57 PM, the outbound 70 remains absent from the Ashley Park stop. This Volvo B9TL in borrowed Citylines 24 livery sits fifteen minutes behind schedule while the evening rush claims sixty-seven per cent of the network's punctuality.
The ENE wind buffets the WESTbus livery of an inbound 36 as it arrives at Allison Road 22 minutes adrift. Despite its smooth ZF axles and silent electric motor, this Yutong E12 remains entangled in the 66 per cent of the network currently running behind schedule.
Route 24 stutters through Bedminster, currently 22 minutes late at Catherine Mead Street on its outbound trip. A single fare now costs £2.60, a steep price to pay when FirstGroup is busy prioritising £142 million in shareholder buybacks over the actual service.
The 21mph wind whips around the Parkway North P&R shelters as passengers wait for a late arrival. Ten minutes have passed since the inbound m4 was due to bring its biogas engine and Marlborough Street livery to this corner of Stoke Gifford.
Route 19 glides into Moravian Road on time, a solitary success in a rush hour where 63 other services are currently failing. Boardroom priorities remain clear while passengers wait, given FirstGroup diverted £141m into share buybacks instead of basic operational stability.
A moderate easterly wind clips the Victorian terraces of Horfield as passengers wait for the delayed inbound 76. The Yutong U11DD eventually arrives six minutes late to Filton Road, representing one of the sixty-two routes currently trailing behind the schedule.
Route 24 stagnates at Mulready Close, fifteen minutes adrift on its outbound journey to Southmead Hospital. FirstBus recorded a £96m operating profit in 2025, which apparently does not buy the punctuality required to get people home to Stapleton on time.
On Old Market Street, the purple 48 toward Downend holds a fifteen-minute delay at the M3 stop. The Scania’s biogas engine idles quietly while seventy per cent of the city's network struggles to maintain a schedule.
Route 75 stumbles past Gipsy Patch Lane fifteen minutes late on its inbound journey to Hengrove. This electric Yutong U11DD offers charging to passengers who have had ample time to drain their phone batteries while waiting on Gloucester Road North.
Route 19 stumbles toward Bristol Parkway, currently fifteen minutes adrift at the Soundwell Road stop in Staple Hill. This Bath-based Enviro400 finds itself among the seventy-one per cent of local services failing to keep pace with the Tuesday timetable.
Route 47x hums toward Rupert Street, currently holding its time at Hockeys Lane despite the east wind. The biogas cylinders at the rear of this citylines east vehicle are doing their job, even if fifty-five of the network's fifty-seven routes are currently struggling to do theirs.
Outside Montpelier High School at 2:17 PM, the inbound 70 trails its schedule by twelve minutes. This Volvo B9TL wears a citylines 24 livery despite the route number, providing some visual variety for the seventy-three per cent of the network currently running late.
The "Drive it!" livery on the inbound route 7 catches the light at Nelson Street B5. This biogas-powered service is currently 12 minutes late, though its quiet engine makes the wait slightly more bearable for those on the pavement.
At 1:37 PM, the inbound 75 sits fifteen minutes adrift of the schedule at the Wood Street stop on Charlton Boulevard. This electric Yutong U11DD remains remarkably silent for a vehicle currently testing the patience of everyone waiting in the midday sun.
Route 74 stutters toward Bradley Stoke as it navigates the residential stretch of Filton Avenue. Being seven minutes late allows this outbound bus to outperform sixty-seven per cent of the current network.
Route X6 loiters near Stokes Croft, trailing its inbound schedule by fifteen minutes. The electric WESTbus Yutong is currently negotiating the midday traffic before its final stop at the bus station.
The east wind whistles past the Wootton Park shelter where the inbound 36 is currently running six minutes late. Its batteries have ample range for the trip to St Anne's, provided the midday congestion on the A4 eventually permits forward motion.
The North East wind buffets the citylines east livery as the inbound Y6 reaches Highwood Road. This service maintains its schedule at Patchway Roundabout, a rare point of order in a midday network where sixty-two per cent of buses are currently late.
At 11:57 AM, the inbound X6 sits 15 minutes late at Bristol Bus Station while FirstGroup reports a 16% rise in earnings per share. Investors are well looked after even though regional passenger numbers fell 4% in the last half.
Route 46 hesitates at the Quarry Way stop, currently fifteen minutes adrift on its outbound trip to Frenchay. This Lawrence Hill-based Volvo B9TL adds another delay to a morning where only twenty-nine per cent of the network is running on time.
Route X1 hums toward Weston from the Bus Station, departing on schedule and showing the network’s latent potential. Punctuality remains an outlier when the CEO's bonus plan weights operating profit so heavily over the actual needs of the West of England.
A biting wind at Stockwood Road meets the outbound 2a as it reaches Hollway Road Shops 14 minutes late. The silent Yutong motor provides a quiet contrast to a morning where only 28 per cent of the network is managing to run on time.
Route 76 slips into the Highbury Road stop five minutes late on its outbound run through Bedminster. The silent 220 kW motor of this Yutong model makes for a discreet arrival at the edge of Hartcliffe Way.
Passengers at the N2 stop in Stokes Croft are currently braving an easterly wind while they wait for the delayed 74 toward the centre. The WESTbus liveried vehicle is 23 minutes late, a significant outlier even with 46 percent of the network currently behind time.
Route m2 haunts Rupert Street with a punctuality that feels almost accidental given the morning’s wider network failures. The outbound service to Long Ashton Park & Ride sits on time, its Scania chassis vibrating quietly while sixty-one other routes across the city face delays.
At 9:17 AM, the outbound m2 sits at Cumberland Basin with a twenty-two minute delay. The Scania’s coach-style interior and its tables provide a stable surface for the long wait overlooking the grey Avon Gorge.
A biting east wind greets those waiting at St Werburghs as the 48 outbound pulls in three minutes early. The biogas engine provides a quiet departure for a bus currently ahead of its own schedule.