Here's how our region's buses will be running on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th December:
Saturday will see all operators except First running a normal Saturday service. First will have a Saturday service on routes 4/4A/X4, 26 and S1. The X2 will not be running. All other First routes will be running to a reduced timetable.
On Sunday, all operators will be running a normal Sunday service.
Don't forget that First are putting many of their fares up as of Sunday. More details here.
Does anyone know what the situation is with the 46 Winchester to the General ?
ReplyDeleteAre Stagecoach carrying on with the tender fron the 7th January 2013 ?
Thanks.
According to Stagecoach South website, Stagecoach will be running the No 46 until 2016 and the current timetable will be unchanged
DeleteThank you for that.
DeleteI had not realised Stagecoach's website had been updated. Great.
First seem to be dropping the X2 ahead of everything else this Christmas. Is this simply because it's stops are all covered by other first routes, or is it on its way out?
ReplyDeleteMuch has been made on here and elsewhere of low loadings. Living on the route it seems to have found an audience, although perhaps not enough to justify every ten minutes.
The problem with the X2 is that the loop around Millbrook us already covered by the ever popular Bluestar 18. People living there have had the 18 route for years and so are used to getting it, and I also think Bluestar is cheaper, and also by missing out Shirley was a mistake as lots of people go from Millbrook to Shirley so that's more people on the 18. The most people I have ever seen on an X2 is about 6. Time to reduce the frequency/withdraw the route and increase the frequency on a more popular route *cough*The 3*cough*
ReplyDeletebluestar are cheaper!!!
ReplyDeletebluestars monthly ticket is substancialy less than firsts!!!you can even use it on uni-link,so the 4 main suburbs are covered ,as well as the general hospital!
ReplyDeleteFirst have the Millbrook week ticket, was £8 for a weeks unlimited travel anywhere between Millbrook and the City Centre - substantially cheaper than B*.
ReplyDeleteThe X2 can be very busy, seen almost full loads on it on occasions includig middle of the day, I think it tends to pick up a lot along Millbrook Road where the equivalent B* services have dire reliability - supposed to be every 10 minutes but I've waited 45 minutes and that is on a day when the traffic is flowing freely.
ok,anon,what about firsts monthly pass in southampton ,£56 is it?compared to £45 for bluestars!!
ReplyDeletelove the way bus operators are quick to increase fares,as a result of increases in petrol prices,but have they ever reduced all the ticket prices ,when petrol prices fall?..er,no!!!
ReplyDeleteIn reply to anon @1956, First have a bigger network so is it really that surprising they charge more in Southampton? Doh! How about Hampshire tickets? First £76, B* £85 for a smaller area.
ReplyDeleteSimple Anon @2151, bus companies agree their fuel prices for the whole year with their supplier in advance so they only have one annual price increase and therefore prices are not constantly increasing and occasionally decreasing like they do at the pumps. It is however an inescapable fact that the price of fuel is going up despite seasonal decreases when demand dips and the occasional localised price wars between petrol stations.
ReplyDeletei`d rather travel bluestar than first anyday!not only have they got a more modern fleet,more comfortable seats ,more polite drivers,but also better prices generally(i say generally,cause someone with too much time on their hands will nitpick!)
ReplyDeleteCheck out B* fares as they cross the city boundary, jumps to something like £6 for a single whereas you can go all the way to Portsmouth for about £4.50 on First. B* have ALWAYS pegged their city fares at just below whatever First/Citybus charged even ack in the days of Musterphantom, etc. They also ALWAYS put up there fares just after First do, I bet B* fares willl go up in the next month and will stay about 5p cheaper than the competition within the city boundary.
ReplyDeleteFares up, service reduced, unreliability, poor quality buses = First bus policy!
DeleteThe Portsmouth network has been destroyed just like Southamptons. They are the continual victim of ruining bus services by unreliability, customers walking away!
Yes because that makes perfect business sense, I'd prefer to travel First over B* anyday, more reliable and cheaper on most of the journeys I make. B* have been robbing people in Hedge End for years - service gone from every 20 minutes to hourly and still unreliable with high fares. First now running 4 times an hour with decent buses and now Velvet twice an hour. Both a lot cheaper too!
Delete