A BUS operator in south Essex has announced several changes to its programme ahead of the summer. 

First Bus Essex has revealed changes to a number of services in and around Southend, Basildon, Shoebury, and Canvey, which will come into effect on June 2. 

The provider hopes the new routes and changes to the existing services will improve reliability across the network. 

The affected services are: 

21, 21A – Canvey to Southend - *extended to Shoebury and Great Wakering*

The Monday to Saturday service is extended beyond Southend to Southchurch, Bournes Green, Maplin Way North, Delaware Road, Shoebury Asda, Great Wakering and Landwick, every 30 minutes, providing new links to Southend Hospital and to the schools on either side of the city in Westcliff and Southchurch.

B5 Basildon to Fiserv Janus House and Gardiners Lane South - *New Route*

This new service replaces the existing short X10 journeys between Basildon, Festival Leisure Park, Fiserv (Janus House) and Gardiners Lane South. Buses will run up to  every 30 minutes during the daytime on Monday to Saturday with additional journeys at the busiest times.

X10 Basildon to Stansted Airport via Chelmsford  

The route is revised in Basildon with the Basildon to Janus House and Gardiners Lane section largely replaced by new service B5. The X10 is rerouted between Basildon town centre and Eastmayne via Broadmayne, with buses calling at the Watermill stop all day, every day. Some journeys extend beyond Basildon bus station to Festival Leisure Park and Janus House at peak times.

X30 Southend to Stansted Airport via Chelmsford

The Monday to Saturday service is increased to run every 30 minutes over the full route between Southend and Stansted Airport throughout the day. One daytime bus per hour will serve Southend Hospital (via Prittlewell Chase and Southbourne or Westbourne Grove), with the other running via Southend Airport and following the existing route.