East Yorkshire Buses cutback the frequency of service 58 between Hull and Hessle as part of their service changes on 15th February. The 58 had been operating every 20 minutes Monday to Saturdays daytimes, but has now been reduced to a frequency of every 25 minutes. It might be even interval, but it's not clockface or memorable.
The 58, previously numbered 66, has seen a variety of frequencies in recent years. In January 2024 the frequency was increased from every 20 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes and every 20-25 minutes Saturday daytimes to every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes. Over Christmas and New Year 2024-25 frequency was reduced to half hourly, then after a brief return to every 15 minutes, a "temporary" reduction to every 20 minutes was implemented in February 2025. That "temporary" frequency lasted until February 2026 and the reduction to every 25 minutes outlined above.
The 58 has always had a large degree of overlap with other services, along Anlaby Road, in the Boothferry Estate and for Hessle Square to Hull Royal Infirmary and Hull City Centre passengers. In the past 15-20 years that has increased with the X1/Humber Flyer/250 being diverted along Boothferry Road, the 350 being doubled to half hourly and off peak and Saturday park and ride services now serving all stops they pass along Boothferry and Anlaby Roads. Indeed Stagecoach could now be considered the main operator along Boothferry Road rather than East Yorkshire. So I get the 58 may have it's challenges. However I doubt East Yorkshire have helped themselves with driver and parts shortages, changing frequencies and now a non-clockface very unusual 25 minute frequency. It has the feel of managed decline. It's not passenger friendly and I don't see that it will help (re)build patronage. That's very unfortunate for the parts of the route - like Bethune Avenue - which don't have an alternative. Maybe every 15 minutes is no longer justified, but something better than every 25 minutes would be very welcome. Ideally every 20 minutes, but I'm almost tempted to say a clockface half hourly service would be better than every 25 minutes?
In line with other East Yorkshire Buses Anlaby Road services, the 58 (and associated service 59) now operate directly from Anlaby Road into Paragon Interchange via Park Street, rather than using the Hull City Centre Loop, or Ferensway as used to occur during the evening peak. 'Most' services follow the City Centre loop on their outbound journey from the Interchange, and passengers can stay onboard at the Interchange to access alternative City Centre drop offs. Apparently any journeys where this does not apply 'will be shown in the timetable', but I can see no such annotation against any journey on either the East Yorkshire website timetable, nor in the printed timetable.
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