It was great to meet with Rachel, Martin, Karen and Joe from Stagecoach at their depot on Gypsy Patch Lane who were very enthusiastic about the prospects for their Bristol operations. They are planning to begin a full refurbishment of the site starting in early 2023.
They also told me how they are integrating newly arrived refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine into their workforce, as well as working with local colleges and universities to promote driver apprenticeships.
The Stagecoach team also told me of their ambition to create greater connectivity for the North Bristol fringe which I am greatly supportive of due to the social mobility and opportunities it will bring to our area. I look forward to working with them and local authorities to build a firmer strategy to provide long-term funding for bus services.
