New bus routes and free travel passes for Leighton Buzzard area start next week

It’s all change for Leighton-Linslade bus users next week as new routes are replacing existing services.

And the services will be free until Christmas for those travelling in the Leighton Town Zone.

A new network of local bus services will be launching on May 9, with new routes L1, L2, L3, L4, L5 & L6 replacing the existing 32, 33, 34, 35, 36C and D1 services.

Arriva says the new bus services will provide expanded links to all parts of the town, with the Clipstone Park, Chamberlains Barn and Roman Gate developments being served for the first time, proving links to the town centre, the railway station and other key destinations.

The new bus services will provide hourly journeys from early morning into the evening and some routes will also run on Sundays.

They will be operated by Arriva, on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council, and are being funded largely by Section 106 developer contributions.

The services will be free to use until Christmas 2023 to encourage passengers to sample the new routes.

Thanks to funding received from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services across Central Bedfordshire, all passengers will also be able to travel for free on the Arriva routes 150, F70 and F77 within the Leighton Town Zone until Christmas. Fares to and from destinations outside the Leighton Town Zone will continue to be charged as normal, although these are currently capped at £2, under the fare cap promotion funded by the government as part of its Help for Households campaign.

In a statement Arriva said: “We’re introducing a fleet of high specification, ultra low-emission buses which are fully accessible and packed with great on-board features such as next stop announcements, USB charging and free WiFi. And, as usual, our friendly team of local drivers will be ready to welcome you on board.

"We’ll be saying goodbye to routes D1, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36C as these routes are replaced in part, or entirely, by the new network of services. For areas that are no longer served by regular bus services, Buzzer provides a door to door community transport service for Leighton Buzzard, Linslade and surrounding villages.”

Further information is available on Arriva's website.