It's worth adding that Xelabus have now joined Solent Travelcard, the ticket that allows you to travel on buses of all operators within quite a large zone, which covers most of our region. Good to see them finally join up. They still do not however recognise Plusbus tickets. Neither do Brijan Tours. Shame on them both for blocking a more integrated public transport network.
Xelabus have launched a new route (X9/X10) from the Waterside to Morrisons in Calmore. It started on Monday, but the timetable isn't available on the Xelabus website, so prospective passengers have no idea when the buses run and if they really want to get to Morrisons, will probably end up getting Bluestar 8 to Totton or the 9 to Redbridge and then changing to the 11.
Unilink U6 and U9 will divert in Upper Shirley from the 18th to the 20th November due to the temporary closure of Dale Road.
The spiel on the C3/C4 timetable says that the new services will provide links not only to Chandlers Ford but to Eastleigh too - but with no indication as to how or when this occurs. Do I guess that some journeys run through onto the XelaBus commercial service? If so - TELL US :( :(
ReplyDeleteWayfarer - I think you're right about interworking with the X7. On the route map, near the blob for Waitrose, there is a note in tiny writing which says "buses change to X7 to/from Eastleigh". And, between the peaks, the timings would work for C3 arrivals at Waitrose, and C4 departures. But I agree that we should be told.
ReplyDeleteThe C3/C4 timetable seems to be Mondays to Fridays only. Will Hiltingbury now have no Saturday service (except for a few evening journeys) - or have I missed something?
The HCC tender was certainly for a 6 day a week service . . .
ReplyDeleteI did miss something on the C3/C4 timetable. Looking at it again, I see that the first journey of the day is headed "NS" - so I guess it is a Monday to Saturday timetable, even though it says "Monday to Friday".
ReplyDeleteThat's because the page heading, i.e. the route description and days of operation but not the route numbers, has been copied and pasted from the X7 leaflet. Such attention to detail...
DeleteXelabus get their marketing wrong again? I don't believe it! It is after all run by the man with 40 years marketing experience in the bus industry! All spin and little substance as usual from Xelabus again :-/
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the council withdraws all the funding for the C route. Velvet then tried to run the route without funding, without success. Now suddenly, the council has found funding for some form of route and given it a competitor.
ReplyDeleteI know the laws are in place to promote competition, but it does seem somewhat wrong.
All the operators were given the opportunity to bid but Xelabus won fair and square because they will do anything for 50p. Give it a few days, weeks or months and they'll chuck it in as unremunerative (got the sums wrong) judging on past performance.
DeleteThere are some of us sat in Hiltingbury
Deletewondering just that. The question we
keep asking ourselves; is it better to have
no bus at all or to have Xelabus run the
service with their usual way of doing things?
One thing that really seems to upset people
more than anything else is when a company
is here one day and gone the next.
Perhaps more of the readers of this site
would like to tell us what they think ?
Don't buy a season ticket !
DeleteWith regards to AN0N 11;56 question......
ReplyDeleteread past comments on this site about xelabus....
you'll soon realise exactly what readers think about them!!!!
Will VOSA/TC eventually take an interest?
ReplyDeleteAh but do they break any rules? If not can't be 'nicked'!
ReplyDeleteIf any of you want to run a bus company - just go ahead and see how much fun it is!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletewhy do the people on this site find it too give them great pleasure in running down people who run small companys in the eastleigh area which i would like to remind you all help by given people jobs and do alot of free time, effort and support the local charity with in the local area. you may not like some things but to kept knocking them , i bet you have ever worked within a bus company , nor drove one, for 5 days a week , may be only taking pictures of them suits you best ...... kept up your good work .lol
ReplyDeleteThe last reply raises a few valid points and i know at times we can seem like a bunch of armchair critics, but let me put this to you....
DeleteOne of the small companies you refer to has effectively ousted another small relatively new company who has also given people jobs, off it's commercial network, whilst also giving another small long established company who has also given people jobs and whose well respected owner also supports local charities a run for their money by introducing a bus service 5 mins in front of the established service..... do you see where this is going?
These are the sort of actions we all witnessed 26 years ago at dereg, as interesting as it was do we really want to go back to that?
Someone ought to realise that whilst competition is a good thing, this will only work where the market can sustain it, now Eastleigh may be a lot of things but Oxford it ain't........
yes i see where is this going... may be an idea would be if the two companys with the service 5 mins in front .... would hold talks with that company and make it work for the oap and people that ride the buses .it would of been better 25 mins or so from one another to service both companys and riders a bit of the cherry. i take on board your comments also .
DeleteThere's plenty of room for the small operators to cream off the big companies if they look for the openings (eg: Hedge End to Southampton - good luck Velvet) without fighting each other for the sparse pennies on routes that need council support.
DeleteAnonymous from 22 November makes comments about Xelabus coming on the scene. Xela have offered an alternative service for customers especially on the X8 with LOW FLOOR buses something Brijan have not moved onto. It is true that Xela will be running the X7 in place of Velvet C1 and C2 and will again guarantee LOW FLOOR buses where Velvet put anything out. I am nothing to do with any bus company but it is obvious the company is trying to improve upon other companies and good luck to them!
DeleteLet's face it though, Velvet didn't "just put anything out." Whenever I went on the C1/C2 it was always a Low Floor bus. I'm an enthusiast and i'm sure that I took a picture of an old Plymouth step entrance dart on the X7 the other day! I also frequently see old buses on other Xela routes. Take a look at Xela's Facebook page too! Some of the posts on there are from very unhappy customers! A contrast to some of the posts on Velvet's Facebook page...
Delete