Night buses to run around the clock on three Wrenhaven routes from spring Night buses to run around the clock on three Wrenhaven routes from spring

Buses will run through the night on three of Wrenhaven's busiest routes from next spring after councillors approved a two-year trial at a meeting of the transport committee on Tuesday evening. The routes chosen link the city centre with Northfield, Eastmoor and Wrenhaven General Hospital, and will have a bus every 30 minutes between midnight and 5am.

At present the last buses leave the city centre shortly after half past eleven, and the first morning services do not start until around a quarter past five. Shift workers have long complained that the gap leaves them reliant on taxis or lifts, and a survey carried out by the council over the summer found that more than 4,000 people regularly travel during those hours.

Councillor Bridget Ollerton, who chairs the committee, said the decision was about fairness as much as convenience. Nurses finishing late shifts, cleaners heading to offices before dawn and bar staff closing up after midnight were among those who would benefit most, she said.

People who keep this city running at night deserve the same chance of getting home safely as everyone else.

Cost and safety

The trial is expected to cost around €1.6 million a year, with the bus operator, Bay Transit, covering a share of the cost from fares. Every night bus will carry a second member of staff on Friday and Saturday nights, and the main stops along the routes will have improved lighting and live departure screens before the service begins.

Not everyone on the committee was persuaded. Councillor Graham Pettifer said he supported the aim but questioned whether passenger numbers would justify the cost on weeknights. The committee agreed to publish figures every three months and to review the timetable after the first year.

Hospitality businesses in Old Quay welcomed the move. Moira Sandhu, who runs a restaurant near the harbour and chairs a local traders' group, said several of her staff currently spent a large part of a late shift's wages on taxis. "This will make a real difference to who can afford to work in our industry," she said. Bay Transit said it would begin recruiting around 40 additional drivers in the new year.