NEWPORT Bus has taken over the running of a commuter bus route linking Gwent with Bristol - and the service will be free for passengers until January 10. The rebranded T7 Chepstow to Bristol service began operating on Monday after the Newport-based transport firm secured the five-year contract, as part of the Welsh Government-sponsored Traws Cymru network of express bus routes. The T7 service, known since June 2020 as Traws Hafren, has now been expanded to include weekend buses. Newport Bus said the move to a seven-day service was made to meet the demand of weekend workers, shoppers and students . “We’re excited to have been chosen to run the new T7 service, said Scott Pearson, the managing director of Newport bus operator Newport Transport. This is the first TrawsCymru service that the company has operated, and so we look forward to developing this service into the best it can be for our customers.