Changes to X4 Bus Service in Bierton

Info received from Head of Transport, Buckinghamshire Council

Arriva have varied their X4 service to now serve Kingsbrook instead of Bierton.  The X4 is operated by the Milton Keynes depot and therefore did not get withdrawn when Arriva closed their Aylesbury one.

They have, however, made changes to the X4 effective this week.  Although it still runs every hour, there’s a slight shortening of the operational day and the bus now runs via Kingsbrook.  Unfortunately we don’t have any influence over that, although we had raised concerns about congestion they may encounter on their new route which includes Oakfield Road between Adams Garage and Stocklake.  They responded that they remain committed to their plans and have pressed ahead. The route also changes within Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley, although these are outside of the County.

We have received a small number of complaints from residents about access to school, including from outside the County, and have directed them to either alternatives or to Arriva to raise their concerns directly with them.  I have liaised directly with Aylesbury Grammar School, who contacted me about pupils in Leighton Buzzard who can no longer access school from their particular part of the town.  Although it’s outside the County, our service 165 contract does happen to pass some of the right stops to get pupils to school at the right time and I have told AGS about this.  I have also briefed the operator of the 165 so that they are prepared for additional passengers.

The alternative services are as follows. For residents of Bierton, service 100 will still link them every hour to Aylesbury town centre and Milton Keynes, albeit not via Leighton Buzzard, six days a week.  Service 165 runs every two hours, six days a week, to Leighton Buzzard which is mainly useful for off-peak journeys.

On schooldays Arriva have retained a bus each way through Bierton to Aylesbury College and the Sir Henry Floyd School, also calling in the town centre.