A NEW bus hub for services stopping at Bournemouth University opens today, four months ahead of schedule.

The six-bay facility offers a purpose built facility for passengers travelling to and from the Talbot campus.

It is hoped the bus hub will help to reduce road congestion on Fern Barrow, with Yellow Bus services also seeing a benefit.

The transport base includes purpose built canopy shelters, real time information displays showing the departure times for all public bus services departing from Talbot campus. static bus information boards and maps of the campus.

Jim Andrews, chief operating officer at Bournemouth University, said: “We’re really pleased to be opening the new bus hub on our Talbot Campus, ahead of schedule.

"This will be a real resource for the whole community, and is a good chance to celebrate as our campus works continue.”

All Talbot campus UNIBUS services will terminate and depart from the new bus hub commencing from Monday, January 8.

The U1 and U3 vacation services will operate from the facility from today.

The new fourth road arm from Boundary Road Roundabout to Gillett Road was due to be completed by last Friday and open today but this has been pushed back.

Nigel Hutton, Transport Policy Manager at Borough of Poole, said: “The Gillett Road extension to Boundary Roundabout is a Bournemouth University project that will become a public road when it is opened.

"Our engineers have undertaken quality control checks during construction and when the University tell us it is ready, we will do a final inspection and check everything is okay before it is opened to the public.”