Nottingham's infamous late-night 'vomit comet' bus to Mansfield could return

A councillor has hinted at the return of the infamous 'vomit comet' bus.

An infamous late-night bus service between Nottingham and Mansfield could be reinstated after a councillor called for its return.

The Pronto route, operated by Stagecoach, connects Chesterfield, Mansfield and Nottingham, with buses either every 15 or 30 minutes.

In previous years, the route was popular with those on nights out in Nottingham as the last bus towards Mansfield left Nottingham bus station in the early hours of the morning.

Currently, the last Pronto bus on Friday and Saturday nights leaves the Victoria Bus Station at 10.10pm.

In December, Mansfield Councillor Ben Brown wrote a letter to Stagecoach regarding the possibility of reinstating the late-night ‘vomit comet’ services.

In a Facebook post, Councillor Brown said: “This week I received a response from Stagecoach's Commercial Director.

“He confirmed that bus passenger numbers are back up to around 80% of pre-Covid level.

“More importantly, he has confirmed that ‘over the summer of 2024, we plan to re-establish more bus services in the evenings and at weekends, and this plan is likely to include expanding the Pronto timetable’.

“I will keep on at them, but it's a very positive response from Stagecoach and reading between the lines, we may well see a return of the "vomit comet" later in the year," he continued.

“Given the lack of late-night trains and the high prices of taxis at that time of night, the late-night Pronto was a vital link between Mansfield and Nottingham and had obvious commercial and social benefits.”

Stagecoach has been contacted for comment.