The introduction of a new bus service for Bath students is a much anticipated example of significant progress. For a long time now, the issue of “the buses” has been a top priority for Bath students, and the change of service provider could precipitate a major development in the future of transport.

First, the company that currently enjoys a monopoly on buses in Bath has been under constant and severe criticism regarding the 18 and 418 services. The cancellation of the 20A and 20C buses from Combe Down, a student housing hotspot, taking effect at the insensitive time of May 10, during the examination period, evidently forced the Union’s hand to take drastic action.

Working with Bath & North-East Somerset Council, Bath Students’ Union has been negotiating with Wessex Connect, a company that has experience dealing with students at the University of West England, Bristol, to run services in addition to those operated by First:

Proposals have also been drawn up by Wessex Connect to provide a service from the University of Bath campus through to the Lower Oldfield Park loop (to be called the U18) from 06:55 until 20:30, Monday to Friday. This service will run approximately once every 10 minutes and will be supplemented by a slightly less frequent weekend service (similar to First). The service will be student focused with a pricing strategy to match.

Alex Nicholson-Evans, Bath Students’ Union President, commented:

Students just aren’t satisfied with the service they are receiving at the high prices they are currently being charged. I hope that the introduction of some healthy competition in the form of Wessex Connect’s service, alongside the current routes provided by First, will finally see the campus and Lower Oldfield Park being adequately served.

It is a testament to the success of Alex’s presidency that she has followed up her manifesto commitment to look at a different bus service, as opposed to the improvement of the existing one. Friends and colleagues tell me that this year the 418 service is a great deal better than it was in previous years, due in no small part to Alex’s negotiations.

On the Union Website, Alex also commented that “B&NES are working on this issue but at the moment, First bus passes will only be valid on First buses.” so it is yet to be seen how students will react to having their passes rendered almost useless. It may effect the popularity of the new service in general as I would imagine that students with First passes will continue to use them.

First can probably expect to see a sales dip in September when the new academic year starts as students decide to switch providers. Conversely, students may decide to adopt a “devil you know” approach and stay with First, driving Wessex away due to a lack of profitability. Possibly, student living off campus for the first time (I.e. first years becoming second years) may use the new service, having heard about First’s inadiquacies, while older students in the third and fourth year stick with the familiar.

Competition is the key word. It is hoped that as Wessex Connect encroaches on the student client base, First will somehow suddenly get its act together and strive to keep its customers. The services will depend on how students behave, which will require a co-ordinated and effective campaign on the part of the SU. If students stick with First, Wessex Connect will find Bath an unprofitable and unpenatrable market, and leave. If Wessex Connect is successful, First could easily pull the plug all together, leaving Wessex overstretched as First is now.

In any case, the introduction of a new service is certainly a welcome development for students because it changes the playing field on which the Students’ Union can argue. It shows that students cannot be taken for granted and put ths SU in a much stronger position. Hopefully, the cycle of the past few years of discussion will be broken.