Bluestar have wasted no time in publishing the timetable for the new route 17, which will run from the City Centre via Shirley, General Hospital and Lordshill to Lower Brownhill Road from 25th October. See the timetable here. Bluestar 7 has of course just launched, replacing the withdrawn First 5 between the city centre and Sholing direct via Woolston, plus it also serves Central Station.
Talking of timetables, First have published a new timetable book for Southampton, updated to include all of their latest changes. The red colour scheme does look much better than their standard corporate white and insipid lilac. Don't bother with their book if you want to get to Swaythling though - First have abandoned it and want us all to forget that it was ever part of our city. Here's how their new network looks:
In a breakthrough, Bluestar have finally put all of their single fares online. From the service listing page of their website, select your route and then on the right hand side you can select the start and end point for your journey and your fare will be revealed.
First had beaten Bluestar on this front, coming up with an easy to understand fare structure in February 2014, but that has sadly gone with the introduction of their new-look website. Hopefully it will make a return as First are now the biggest operator in our region to keep their single fares a secret from potential passengers.
I note that the Bluestar 17 seems to have caused much excitement in some quarters.It's usual when Bluestar publish something new in route it comes with a diagramatic route map.It would be helpful to all on their website too include a route map for this service,mainly between Shirley and Brownhill Road section.I hope somone at Bluestar reads this blog and passes my comments on.
ReplyDeleteErrr................ why not contact them yourself?
DeleteLooking at the map inside the new First Southampton timetable it reminds me of looking out into space at the galaxies and seeing a huge black hole in the middle.If you also take away the services that no longer operate on Sundays this black hole even spreads into the galaxies
ReplyDeleteWell done Bluestar!!A bus company willing to increase ,rather decrease the areas it serves.
ReplyDeletehow long before First give up in southampton?Wish they`d take their crappy buses,rude drivers,appalling planning dept and their contempt for the very people who pay their wages and get the heck out of our city!
ReplyDeleteAt 10am today ,i witnessed two Cityred 2`s travelling along shirley rd,the first carried two passengers,the second carried just one passenger!First try telling us that they can`t run services that don`t cover costs,so what about this dead duck?
ReplyDeleteSeems we the travelling public are just pawns in a corporate game. I understand the pressure of reduced subsidies but fail to see the gain from high density duplications with each abstracting from the other, but thats competition. Constantly changing routes, confusing number duplications even from the same stop, a nightmare for visitors who do not have the local knowledge. I ask myself why did BS not revise their Townhill service running alternate busses via Cobden and Northam bridges providing a service on both roads whilst still serving its core objective rather than abandon roads that it has spent effort building up trade. Why it has not provided a bus stop at Twiggs Lane on the 9 to at least offer a service to Marchwood in the evenings at no extra milage. Or are the public not worthy of consideration. I unfortunately for fear of legal action will even publish my views on First.
ReplyDeleteI don't think a stop for the Bluestar 9 at the top of Tavells Lane on the A326 is at all likely, mainly on grounds of safety. I have often wondered if the reason BS9 is not re-routed to serve Marchwood at least during off-peak is because the operator believe there is more money to be made by keeping the service to Marchwood as commercially unviable and therefore commanding a subsidy. This seemed more apparent with the service just before First tried to compete, which was quite frankly appalling.
DeleteThe Bluestar 8 is fully commercial...
DeleteAll of BS routes are fully commercial they don't receive any financial help from local authorities.
Delete"All of BS routes are fully commercial they don't receive any financial help from local authorities."
DeleteWrong. - The council pays towards the 5 and 6
Quite agree that the 16 should have alternative journeys via Northam and Portswood-Although it's nice to note Bitterne being reconnected to Midanbury/Townhill Park a service throughout the day of every 30 minutes would have been ample-I can now confirm the route of the new Bluestar 17 as being the same as the First 3 to Aldermoor then via First 12 Aldermoor Road to Lordshill Centre then an anti-clocewise loop from Lordshill Centre via Brownhill Way,Lower Brownhill Road and Romsey Road back to Lordshill Centre-Recently along the Bitterne corridor First put up on the flags red 10 stickers-These were superseeded by the council putting up new vinyls on the flags with a corporate image for all operator-I notice today that First are coming along and covering over the corporate image 10 sticker with their own red 10 ones again-As stated it's just a nightmare for visitors let alone regulars-Many of the council corporate timetables being laid out across the City have so many errors within them you just don't know where you are-The electronic displays in bus shelters are not in some instances much better-Along the Bitterne corridor whilst they are displaying new times for Red10 Xelabus X10/X11 First 8 plus the current Bluestar 3/18,they are still showing times for the now withdrawn First 9/12-What an almighty mess it's all getting
ReplyDeleteRegarding the electronic displays, there's the shelter at the shopmobility centre in Castle Way which has such a device. I've never seen it working in all the time it's been there. Is it even wired in?
DeleteInteresting to note that the electronic display on the stop in Butts Road/Landseer Road is still showing the next arrival time of First number 5!
DeleteHaving travelled on Bluestar 7 every day this week, this service appears to be well used by workers, schoolchildren and OAP's. How First can say there is no demand for this service beggars belief!
ReplyDeleteQuite agree I have used it also.There is something very wrong with First's passenger figures in the past. I can only imagine the revised 9 is now suffering due to the introduction of the Bluestar 7 with loss of custom along Butts Road and Montague Avenue.Another service change by First coming up shortly I wonder.
DeleteWith reference to BS new 17 I think they have missed a trick by not widening the one way loop into Millbrook down Lower Brownhill , Mansel Rd West, Kendal, and Green Lane restoring the Millbrook to Lordshill link lost with the end of the First 17 this would also give a connection with the 18 for those with passes giving a BS service SGH, where are the lateral thinkers ?
ReplyDeleteThank goodness they havn't.The use of Mansell Road West by buses again is not recomended,because it's narrow and more importantaly is a nightmare for traffic when the school children arrive and leave.Thank goodness Bluestar had the sense not to resurect buses along this road.
DeleteShirley Road is narrow full of people and severely congested especially when people are about why not stop the 86 buses an hour that use it to stop congestion?
DeleteEven better why not restrict the hundreds of cars that use it every hour that cause most of the congestion
DeleteI see hundreds have already signed the petition at change.org,for First to revoke the diabolical changes,But more signatures are welcome!
ReplyDeleteAll well and good,but I doubt if it will have any effect.I would speculate in the near future because there have been so many complaints some of the management who made these changes, will be moved on to other pastures,however that's only my guess.The whole of the City at present is a transport mess,with more buses on all main corridors than is necessary with stupid high frequencies on which most of the buses never most of the day have about 4 to 6 people on board of them
DeleteWish people would just boycott First ,if possible,due to their showing of absolutely awlful treatment of regular customers,with the abysmal changes in Southampton.Changes by First leaving many apparently unable to conduct their day to day duties,without great inconvenience,long walks,changing buses and no evenings out without hiring a cab!Shamefull!!
DeleteIf only there was an alternative operator on First 6 . . .
DeleteI note that in the instance of the new Red 10 a very handy pocket timetable has been produced.How sad it is that with all the money First have spent on new or refurbished buses in Southampton there is not on board the vehicles a rack to put them in,but instead are dumpted in with the Metro newspaper
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember that there used to be leaflet holders. Perhaps they were scrapped along with the vehicles that carried them, instead of being transferred across.
DeleteIndeed there were,but on most vehicles had nothing in them due to the lack of anybody ever topping them up.I must state though the Metro newspaper each day is always topped up,but it would seem with their own publicity they have difficulty for some reason.A great pity.
DeleteTo annon 11 September 0844. I tried four days ago to contact them by phone and left a message with my details to phone me back. So far nothing,however the map has now been posted, so I must presume it was worth asking via this site
ReplyDeleteThis morning I decided to shop in Portswood, but wanted then to continue on to Bitterne.I found a good way of doing this journey the quickest by using the 16 at 1124 to Townhill Park,then alighting at Mousehole Lane/Glenfield Avenue and boarding the B2 about 1133.The whole journey only took me 15 minutes which I thought was pretty good.The Red 7 which left Portswood for Townhill Park about a minute before the 16, arrived with 1 on board,picked up 1 so left with 2 on,the 16 arrived with 5 on,picked me up so left with 6 on board,and the B2 arrived with 4 on board,picked me up so left with 5 on board to Bitterne.Oddly enough the only bus I noted with any reasonable amount of passengers on board was when I got off in Bitterne where a 13 pulled up behind with an almost seated load of which many alighted,but left again for Harefield with an almost seated load again,so at least we know it does require the now hourly service introduced on it this week.Of course the journey I made Portswood to Bitterne will not be possible after the 28th September 2015 as the 16 will be rerouted,so it will have to be the Red 7 to Townhill Park then the rerouted 16 from there to Bitterne.I wonder when it will all change again after the 28th September 2015 alterations.Keeps us old oldies on the alert.
ReplyDeleteI will and hope others join me,in boycotting First`s no.10 route.This is so we can send First a clear message,that we are stick of their putting bus wars before the needs of the average passenger.Think how many people have been inconvenienced by these unnecessary changes to First`s services,with lone women on a meagre budget feeling as they have a curfew now as no evening buses from places like Harefield and not wanting to walk dark streets alone.
ReplyDeleteI agree,let`s all boycott First`s no.10!!Maybe then they will start listening to what Southampton`s bus users actually want.
DeleteSaw a First no.10 with quite a few people on board leaving Bitterne tonight,but that was down to Bluestar not running the 19.28 Bitterne to Millbrook 18!
DeleteEarly days yet, but so far in living along the line of the Red 10 route,I have so far seen no graet numbers on any journey passing my home.Most in either direction have had 1 to 5 people on board.When before the 9 and 12 passed me they most definetely had more on board during the day.Also towards the end of the week they had started to run in bunches, of mainly two together.Coupled with the fact that bunching is common with the Bluestar 18,and at some points I noted between the Red 10 and 18 5 buses running in line to Thornhill.The 10 at the start of the week had all branded buses on it, but by Tuesday and the rest of the week non branded buses were on many journeys,ending yesterday even with a DD on it.The bus stop timetable information is confusing with a mixture of First publicity and Council produced publicity,which shows a different frequency in most cases.The electronic bus stop times are a joke and it would seem the drivers of all companies that run along the corridor, have not been told as to revised stopping arrangements at a few stops where there are two shelters.I note also most of the Bluestar publicity along the route has been removed to put in Council related timetables,however First have it would seem been allowed to retain theirs.At Biterne shops First is well represented but it would seem Xelabus and Bluestar have been put on the backburner. All in all at some stops it's a mess.
DeleteAs a follow up to my posting this morning at 0843,I have just been from home to Bitterne and back. At the stop I boarded only the Bluestar 18 times are being shown on the electronic display,and nothing for other services i.e B*3-First 8 and 10-On return from Bitterne shops all that's being shown on the shelter nearest to Sainsbury's is times for the 18 and nothing for B*3-First 8 and 10. However the shelter used for First 9 and 13 is displaying the First Red 10 only departures.I also note that Bluestar are now coming along and replacing the Council corporate route numbers with their own stickers just as First have done for the Red 10. What a waste of ratepayers money in about few weeks ago replacing all the flags with a corporate image all operators route numbers, for the two largest operators to come along and overide it all. It's about time someone sorted it all out once and for all
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