Coventry bus services reduced 'to improve reliability'

Six routes in Coventry will see reduced services from 4 January

A reduction in bus services being introduced in Coventry is down to a "nationwide issue of driver shortages", National Express has said.

The company is advising customers of changes to some of its bus timetables from 4 January "to improve service reliability".

"We are sorry to have let anybody down," said managing director David Bradford.

It is hoped the changes will be temporary, the company added.

The bus company says it is trying to recruit more drivers

The bus operator is advising customers to check the latest changes to six routes before they travel.

Deputy commercial director Andy Foster said: "We are trying to recruit lots of drivers at the moment but the Omicron variant has made things a lot more difficult."

A decision has been made to "reduce the output" to make services more dependable.

"I'd like to think we'd be able to get back to somewhere like normal in March or April, I think it is going to take a while, but no-one really knows where Covid is going," he added.

The price of bus tickets had been frozen in the city, the company added, with some flexible fares being reduced.