Bristol Metrobus services 'reduced to three an hour'

Metrobus services could run less frequently under new plans

Services on a planned "rapid transit" bus route in Bristol could be reduced from five an hour to three, documents seen by the BBC suggest.

The £200m Metrobus scheme is due to begin in 2017, with buses using segregated lanes.

But a draft contract drawn up suggests services are being cut from the original plan.

The West of England Partnership (WEP) said three per hour was the "minimum requirement".

Tim Kent, the Liberal Democrat transport lead when the scheme was first agreed in 2011, said the current contract had "backtracked from four years ago".

'More ambitious'

He added buses would be "a lot less frequent on certain routes" with a "scheme not living up to what was promised".

The £200m project has been devised by the WEP - an alliance between the four councils in Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

The scheme involves three routes: Ashton Vale to Temple Meads; Cribbs Causeway via Emersons Green to the city centre; South Bristol link between the A370 Long Ashton bypass and Hengrove Park.

Protesters opposed the loss of allotments alongside the M32 for the Metrobus

The contract, seen by BBC Radio Bristol's Chris Brierley also suggests fares could be up to £7 a day, and buses less environmentally friendly than first agreed. Currently a day pass costs £4.40.

A consultation on the agreement is under way.

Labour's former transport lead, Mark Bradshaw, said: "What we need is a really high quality, higher frequency network which connects key destinations across the Bristol city region."

He said he wanted operators to "come back with something more ambitious" than the minimum of three services and hour.

Campaigners against the Metrobus scheme recently occupied allotments alongside the M32, which will be built over for the north Bristol route.

The councils have spent more than £250,000 on keeping protesters away from the site.