Buses diverted a mile off route to avoid a 'community event' that didn't exist

Buses were diverted, and passengers left to find alternative transportation, after Bristol’s biggest bus company diverted buses around a road which was fully open to traffic.

First Bus diverted the number 24 bus in Bedminster on Saturday (August 3), but it caused a headache for passengers on a mile-long section of the route through the BS3 are of Bristol.

The only notification are aware of about the diversion was a tweet from the First Bus account on Saturday morning which said: “Service update - there is a community event on North Street today until 1830.

“The 24 is diverting via Luckwell Road in both directions, and not serving the end of Duckmoor Road/Ashton Road,” it added.

The 24's normal route. It was diverted halfway along North Street to cut out the loop up to Greville Smyth Park (Bristol Live)

The 24 bus from Southmead Hospital loops along North Street and around Ashton Gate before returning into Bedminster along Luckwell Road and then out into Ashton Vale - the diversion cut out the loop into Ashton Gate completely.

But North Street was not closed, and there was no community event at all.

While North Street does close on several Saturdays during the summer for fairs, it is not clear which event First Bus thought was taking place.

North Street was not closed on Saturday afternoon (Bristol Live)

Bristol Live found around a dozen passengers waiting forlornly at bus stops on Ashton Road and Duckmoor Road, and at Aldi, with no idea that the buses were cutting off down Luckwell Road around half a mile away.

And baffled Twitter users replied to First Bus to ask what was going on.

“You got this one wrong. Nothing was shut,” said Stidger72 on Twitter.

A 24 bus turning left off North Street on the 'diversion' (Bristol Live)

It appeared the message about the road being open get through to the drivers in the cabs as they resumed their usual route, late Saturday afternoon.

Sarah Classick wrote: “Errr I’ve just walked up and down North Street and there are no closures or signs up at all? Also saw several 24s going up and down the street?”

Bristol Live has asked First Bus for a comment.

Last weekend, First Bus tweeted a warning to passengers to be prepared for diversions and delays in the city centre because of the Bristol Harbour Festival - which had happened the weekend before.