Council extends late Saturday night buses scheme

Following a three-month pilot over the Christmas and New Year period, Hull City Council has extended the late Saturday night bus scheme until Saturday 25 May 2024 to provide those enjoying an evening out in Hull with even more travel options to get home safely across all parts of the city.

Through funds allocated by the Department for Transport (DfT) for its bus service improvement plan (BSIP), the council, working with local bus operators, Stagecoach and East Yorkshire Buses, will continue offering late night buses to give more choice to people about how to get home as well as supporting the evening economy.

As well as extending the scheme until May, the late Saturday night buses will also operate a discounted fare of £1 per journey from Saturday 6 April.

The initial scheme, which started on Saturday 2 December 2023 and ran through to Saturday 24 February 2024, meant there was an additional safe travel option for those in the city centre, whether they were visiting pubs or making other leisure trips as well as for night shift workers.

It is hoped that the decision by the council and the bus operators to extend the scheme for a further three months will promote passenger growth. Meanwhile, there will be a passenger survey of those using the services to help understand their travel patterns and the demands of night bus users across the city.

This is aimed at getting a broader perspective and identifying routes and locations for further enhancements.

Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways at Hull City Council, said: “As a council, we are pleased to be extending the late Saturday night bus scheme and to be offering a discounted £1 fare on these services from April.

“Usage over the Christmas and New Year period identified that there was an appetite for such services, and we are keen, by listening to passengers and customers, to understand how we can further improve bus services on an evening to ensure residents and visitors to the city have the buses they expect and deserve.

“Buses provide a safe and sustainable transport choice, especially for nighttime users, with all buses in the city able to take contactless payments, for getting to and from the city centre.”

Matt Cranwell, managing director at Stagecoach, said: “We're pleased to partner with the city council to continue the late-night bus services in Hull. As we move into the warmer summer weather, using the bus is a great value, safe and easy travel choice for a night out in the city.”

Ben Gilligan, managing director at East Yorkshire Buses, said: “We’re pleased to be working in collaboration with Hull City Council to continue to deliver late night Saturday services.

“With single journeys capped at just £2, we look forward to welcoming new and existing customers on board and getting them home safely.”5 to Orchard Park - 00.12am and 1.12am

• 6 to Kingswood - 00.12am and 1.12am
• 8 to Bransholme via Holderness Road - 00.10am and 1.10am
• 13 to Bilton Grange via Greatfield - 00.10am and 1.10am
• 57 to Longhill and Bilton - 00.12am and 1.12am
• 66 to Hessle via Anlaby Road - 00.10am and 1.10am
• 104 to Cottingham via Avenues - 00.14am and 1.14am

East bound services will start at Hull Truck and service Alfred Gelder Street.

West and north bound services will start at Alfred Gelder Street and serve Hull Truck before going out of the city centre.

To ensure the safety of passengers, bus marshals will be on duty at the Hull Truck and Alfred Gelder Street stops to provide support.