Don't forget that from Monday, you can get to and from Ringwood by bus again with the launch of Velvet 300. Timetable here.
Plus with the school holidays starting, Velvet M between Eastleigh and Marwell Zoo is now running every day until 1st September! Use Solent Travelcard if you need to use another company's buses, such as Bluestar 2 from Southampton, to get to Eastleigh.
Can Velvet make the 300 route work? It has been tried before and a complete flop.
ReplyDeleteWho knows? But as the financial offers say, "past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future". Car fuel, servicing, insurance and parking do not seem to get cheaper
ReplyDeleteUsed recently 09:20 ex Ringwood carried 10 from Ringwood/ Poulner, and picked up 5 + 2 children in Totton/ Milbrook area. 13:20 return had 11 ( all through pax).I'd guess that no more than one or two were not concessions
Good luck to Velvet in their new venture.
ReplyDeleteThe difference this time is no rush hour journey and no short journey to Lyndhurst - both of which carried negligible numbers.
By running via Cadnam there is more scope for passengers from this area especially as BS has abandoned through journeys Cadnam/Soton except 1 x am in and 1 x pm out rush hour
I think if any company can make this service work, then Velvet can, having had the advantage of operating the 300 peviously and let's face it surely there must be some sort of market albeit limited for bus travel from Ringwood to places other than Bournemouth or Salisbury!
ReplyDeleteMaybe there's scope to develope commuter journey's from Ringwood via A31, Cadnam Roundabout and Lyndhurst to Brockenhurst Rail Station to connect with peak hour trains to and from London Waterloo?
Gardbus ran the 39 for a while that took the Cadnam Totton route, though whether exactly as Velvet is now, I can't recall.
ReplyDeleteFor whatever the reason may be Velvet attracted pax at the eastward end of route( see above) far more than did Gardbus.
Velvet's 300 route has been given a second chance because they've recently gained a school contract in the area. In addition to this, one of their drivers owns some land in Ringwood, so they'll have that as an outstation. This will result in lower costs for them this time around.
ReplyDeleteCould there be even more to come at the Ringwood end????
ReplyDeleteOperational suicide!
ReplyDelete