The 7 will no longer serve West Quay towards town, with buses in both directions running via Above Bar Street.
The 11 will no longer serve Ocean Village, running instead via Central Bridge and Bernard Street.
In other news, Xelabus have released the timetable for route X24 to Paulton's Park, which starts from 23rd May. It will run from Bitterne via the city centre and Romsey.
From 24th May, Bluestar will be running a new route across the New Forest from Hythe via Beaulieu and Brockenhurst to Ringwood. It's is supported by the National Park Authority as part of a grant they've been given by the government. More details when the timetable is released.
Shame it doesn't start in S'oton, but assuming it will go via the station then brock isn't difficult to get but is an added expense. Why start it in Hythe though? yes you can get their via the very good ferry, but getting the train to Brock does have some advantages.
ReplyDeleteIt is a National Park funded initiative, therefore cannot start in Southampton as that is outside the New Forest National Park.This service will run Sats/Suns and Bank Hols during the peak summer period. If travelling from Southampton you could take advantage of the similarly funded upgrade to Bluestar 6 which will run hourly 7 days a week during the same period
ReplyDeleteAnything that improves bus services in the wider New Forest must be a good thing. We don't seem to see any improvement aimed at residents, but it is something.
ReplyDeleteAs you go round the forest the number of bus stops that no longer have any service is a major cause for concern, due to the hardship caused on the locals
Why do the authorities seem very happy to support bus services for people who don't live here but not those who do?
ReplyDeleteSo HCC will have to pick up the bill for the many holidaymakers using concessionary passes on these services, meaning they will have even less money to support services for residents out of season.
You really couldn't make it up!!
Are we sure it will qualify for pass use?
DeleteWould not think so,unless it's operated in a similar way to the 112 Beach Bus-I would imagine passes of concessionary nature would only see an increase on the proposed revision to the Bluestar 6 frequency on Sundays for the Summer-Although when people mention concessionary passes they seem to refer to people of retirement age-In using buses frequently in Southampton although this is considerable,I seem to note sometimes more of the disabled type for whatever reason the holder has one, being presented to the driver for travel
ReplyDeleteConcessionary passes are valid for use on 'local bus services'
DeleteThe DfT's guidance on the 2007 act:
"The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 ('
the 2007 Act') provides for a statutory
guarantee of free off-peak travel for eligible
older and disabled
people on local bus
services anywhere in England ('the national concession')."
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110504042334/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/concessionary/informationlocalauthorities/guidancedisabled/ancetolocalauthoritieson3561.pdf
'Local service' is defined in the 1985 act:
Local services.
(1)In this Act “local service” means a service, using one or more public service vehicles, for the carriage of passengers by road at separate fares other than one—
(a)which is excluded by subsection (4) below; or
(b)in relation to which (except in an emergency) one or both of the conditions mentioned in subsection (2) below are met with respect to every passenger using the service.
(2)The conditions are that—
(a)the place where he is set down is fifteen miles or more, measured in a straight line, from the place where he was taken up;
(b)some point on the route between those places is fifteen miles or more, measured in a straight line, from either of those places.
(3)Where a service consists of one or more parts with respect to which one or both of the conditions are met, and one or more parts with respect to which neither of them is met, each of those parts shall be treated as a separate service for the purposes of subsection (1) above.
(4)A service shall not be regarded for the purposes of this Act as a local service if—
(a)the conditions set out in Part III of Schedule 1 to the 1981 Act (trips organised privately by persons acting independently of vehicle operators, etc.) are met in respect of each journey made by the vehicles used in providing the service; or
(b)every vehicle used in providing the service is so used under a permit granted under section 19 of this Act.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/67
There are also exclusions for services where the fare includes something else (i.e. admission to an attraction/ event) and services operating mainly/ wholly for the purpose of tourism. Hence until the 2007 act all passes could be used on the NFT when the gap was closed, but NFDC (whilst responsible for administration) permitted this as a discretion element for NFDC pass holders.
At least that how I understand it. But we will need to see a route and timetable and whether there will be anything like audio commentary, before we know the answer.
I'm glad you understand it,as no normal ordinary person who is holds a concessionary pass would-Why in this country do we try to blind people with such idiotic nonsense that most ordinary people could not possibly understand
DeleteBecause the pass was never intended to be used on tour services like the NFT; or Park and Ride.
DeleteIt was meant for local bus services only.
Sadly councillors with more bluster than brains decided to tinker to show everyone how important they were.
The rest is history, as the pass soon will be because it has become unaffordable.
It's going to be a very brave politician or political party to eliminate these passes completely
DeleteCan Concessionary Passes be used on the X24?
ReplyDeleteGood Morning
ReplyDeleteYes within Southampton from 0900 concessionary passes are allowed and from the time the bus reaches the city boundary and seniors will be able to travel as it will be after 0930. So grand parents can take their grand children for a day out and save money!
Customer Services
Xelabus Limited
So Disabled Persons can use the pass on any part of the X24 after 0930 and anytime on weekends
DeleteOnly yesterday First customer services when asked about a timetable change on the 19th April 2015 to E1/E2, replied they knew of none. Today when asked by several people on their website the same question,it seems there is one, which has now been posted under forthcoming timetables on their website. At last under current timetables the M1 is now also shown.The amount of times that customer services recently gives contradictory replies to customers from one day to another,is getting worse.
ReplyDeleteFareham First office didn't know of changes to Southampton services & offered me an out of date timetable. When I queried it they rang up Southampton & I was proved right!
ReplyDeleteWhat`s the betting if Bluestar pulled the 16 away from Townhill Park,the First no.7 would become every 10 mins weekdays and 30 mins on Suns asap.The bus war must be costing them a fortune!
ReplyDeleteYep your right it is costing BlueStar a small fortune as they have around £400,000 of operating costs and are only just covering the fuel bill let alone drivers costs !
ReplyDeletemaybe the new more/bluestar forest bus link is contributing to the demise of gardbus service 125-see their facebook page.Seems a shame a they had such seemingly good plans
ReplyDeleteHard too know what's going on at Gardbus, as every other week there seems to be an announcement about something or the other-Looks as if they would be better off sticking to the taxi business and forget bus operation-Pity really
ReplyDelete