There is surprisingly little overlap with First 7, with Bevois Valley and the top end of Riverside Park being missed out in favour of Stag Gates and Cobden Avenue. This will open up more direct destinations to Townhill Parkers and in most cases, will force them to choose between First and Bluestar before they decide which stop to wait at. Bluestar will need to market this right in order to get enough people using it from the outset, as they are serving some roads that didn't previously have a direct bus to town, so people won't yet be used to waiting for a bus to town from there.
For a comparison, here is the route of First 7:
Wow Bluestar need a route planner urgently !
ReplyDeleteWon't last 6 months.
Bluestar may be the quality operator at present but it looks like First are getting their act together at long last.
I tend to agree with the above comment, the route goes down some very odd roads and misses some very busy stops so don't expect it to pick many up.and why go Lodge Road and the Avenue?l First have already virtually given up on those roads!
ReplyDeleteThanks for revealing that route. Commuters will be able to take the best route.
ReplyDeleteThe best route at 8am in the morning is NOT Cobden Avenue, thats if you want to get to town before 9am. I walk that way regularly and beat the cars from Mousehole Lane to the Triangle. I would guess the peak morning buses on the 16 will end up running 20 minutes late meaning the service will go to pot just after 9am with the next journeys cancelled to get the buses back on time, same will happen in the evening!
ReplyDeleteWell done Bluestar you listened to the reommended route I suggested, it finally gives Cobden Avenue a bus service to town.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 0741 - the reason why First don't really bother with Lodge Road and The Avenue - that is Bluestar territory, try saying that to BlueStar 2 users!!
Anonymous 2014 - Yes perhaps it is not the best route into town but have your tried catching a First 7 from Townhill Park between 8am and 9am (Note: First 7 is often single decker buses) by the time you Get to Bitterne Triangle you will have lost your double seat to some random stranger in the 90% likely chance it is a single decker!
Make the choice wisely - a longer journey and a non cramped bus or a quicker journey sweating off on a bus full of passengers. I knew what I would be using .
Good job Bluestar a route well planned out (serious, not sarcasm) Now a decent service to General Hospital and Lordshill please!
Well Anon@20:55 well done on selecting a route few will use, yes you'll have a double seat to yourself, probably a whole bus because I really cannot see many people using it. I'll wave to you whilst walking past the bus in Cobden Avenue whilst it sits for a good thirty minutes in traffic. Most people living in this area already walk to either the Triangle where they will have 8 route 7's an hour or to Bitterne Station where they have up to 19 buses an hour.
ReplyDeleteAs Anon@02:04 says - Bluestar need a route planner urgently before it looses too much money on this mad cap route.
Anon 2055 is right I will use this route I live in townhil park and sick to death of poor service and long joruney i have to work with first. drivers are sometimes rude about my speech and i really looking forward to diferrence of blue star. my money is spent on blue star from when 16 starts. anon i will be with u on bus.
ReplyDeleteI cant wait for the new First route to Hythe to start. Bluestar have been ripping off us Watersiders for too long charging high fares to us to subsidise their city services with cheap fares. And Bluestar have more than their fair share of miserable drivers, never had a problem with First drivers myself.
ReplyDelete