A BUS company in York is all set to welcome passengers back in the run up to Christmas.

First York say there are a couple of minor timetable changes from Sunday, December 6 which mean the frequency of the 66 and 67 services will reduce to coincide with university holiday, but that the service is ready for the re-opening of shops and the hospitality industry on December 2.

The company has a full network of services operating and is reassuring customers that they can use the bus to travel safely as people return to the streets for shopping and leisure and head out to enjoy other festive activities in the city in the lead-up to Christmas.

Managing Director Marc Bichtemann said journey planning tools the company introduced earlier this year will be really useful for customers heading out in the coming weeks and the build-up to festive celebrations.

He said: “The live map on our app lets customers see how many seats are free on the bus they are waiting for and the website Space Checker means they can look ahead by the hour for quieter days and times to travel.”

He added: “Everyone will be adjusting in December as restrictions are eased and York returns to life and we will play our valuable role in supporting the city. We have a full network operating and, as we have done throughout previous months, will be monitoring capacity to help ensure customers get to their destination safely.”

It is the law to wear a face covering on the bus throughout the journey, unless you are exempt.

Mr Bichtemann said compliance has been “very high” and he fully expected this to continue.

“We’ve seen the benefits and confidence in safety that wearing a face covering gives to everyone using our buses,” he said.

Full details of timetable changes can be found here.