Bus users fear impact of roadworks on village

Bus users in a village near Norwich are worried about the impact roadworks will have on their daily commute.

First Bus said its excel service between Norwich and Peterborough will not stop at Easton, Norfolk once roadworks begin at Easton roundabout on the A47 on 1 July.

Norfolk County Council (NCC) said passengers should use a different service run by Konectbus which also stops in the village and is able to navigate the works.

However, bus users said that service is less frequent and will make it impossible to get to work and school on time.

Lucie Oakes lives in Easton and said the route is not a suitable replacement for her 14-year-old daughter who is at school in Norwich.

She said: "My daughter's school day starts at 08:50 BST and with the current timetable she would have to leave here before 07:00 BST.

"This would then get her into Norwich city centre over an hour early, meaning an hour sitting around waiting for her school to start."

Charli McClean, also from Easton, is organising a petition asking NCC to offer more transport options while the First Bus services are suspended.

First Bus said the Norwich-bound service would be affected from 1 July, with both directions being impacted from 1 August for the duration of the roadworks.

It said its buses were unable to navigate the diversion for the works, which are expected to last until Spring 2027.

A spokesperson added: "We are working closely with our planning and network team to review all available diversionary options to be able to serve Easton."

Chris Griffin, programme manager at National Highways, which is carrying out the work as part of the A47 dualling project, said they were working with bus companies to understand the impact to their services.

Norfolk County Council said anyone with passes for the First Bus service would be able to use them on the Konectbus route 4.

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