First have new timetables on most of their Southampton routes from Sunday 26th February. Full details here. The main changes are a route change to the 1 in Coxford and the 7 in Midanbury and Townhill Park - details of those here. The new timetables are also on Traveline.
A couple of last buses are being cut: The 0010 departure from the city centre on First 7 to Townhill Park is cut, meaning the 2310 is the last bus. On route 11 to Weston, the 0025 departure from town will now only run on Fridays and Saturdays, meaning that the 2325 is now the last bus on Mondays to Thursdays.
With Saints playing at Wembley on Sunday, both First and Bluestar are offering free travel around the city to anyone wearing a Saints top on Sunday only.
Further afield, the Sunday service between Salisbury and Swindon, Stagecoach 5, is being cut from April, with a possible frequency cut to the Mon-Sat Salisbury Reds X5 service. Wiltshire Council are currently slashing funding for subsidised bus routes across the county, making sure that ordinary people are made to pay for the government's tax cuts for the rich.
Thank you for the latest post, unfortunately spoilt by the final sentence!
ReplyDeleteIts his personal blog about bus changes in our area - he can put any personal comment on the site.
DeleteI find it a nice touch shows someone is taking the time to sit and run this site.
It cant be easy trying to please everyone all this time.
Just my humble opinion
With regards to the last sentence, the first half is fact, the second half comment. I take it the objection is to the latter?
ReplyDeleteThe X5 is commercial, apart from a couple of early morning and early evening journeys.
ReplyDeleteWorth noting that the the 0025 11 will now be Saturday and Sunday mornings only, not as this post states. Would be best to update to avoid confusion.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the last sentence it is correct, both halves are fact.
Your comment re timings whilst technically correct, they show in the timetables at end of day Friday and Saturday, which is probably like most of the customers
DeleteRegarding the Saints shirt free travel offer, Unilink will also be participating.
ReplyDeleteBus services will obviously operate when they pay.
ReplyDeleteBut those of us that remember the guarantee with deregulation back in 1986 was that councils would provide funding for services which operators deemed not to be commercial. Generally funding was provided where there were at least an average 5 passengers on a journey. Sadly no longer the case. Sadly too councils could take back control of their area network but none has done and the operators would fight it.
DeleteHere we go again...
ReplyDeletePH1146678/1 Registered
SIMON ALAN GARD
Route: Ringwood, Meeting House Lane to Ringwood, Meeting House Lane via Poulner, Hightown
Service number: S1 (S2)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 24 Apr 2017
Why is the question. More run an adequate shoppers service, so unless he has something special like later buses, I can't see it lasting long.
DeleteWhat would not benefit Poulner users would be for SG to extract pax from More, so that neither are commercially viable any longer. For stability it has to be More; that is unless More has an agenda for the Ringos.
DeleteBecause according to his facebook page he wants to "teach those b*stards in Towngate House a lesson"!
DeleteI wish him success-after all SG not doing anything different to what rapt/yellow buses are doing rivalling more on r4/b4 for example in certain more exclusive areas
DeleteOh dear, so he wants to lose more money? Not many have taken them on and won, as they have the resources to win most battles, particularly against small fry in the industry!
DeleteAs an enthusiast and operator I regularly monitor this site and can see that a number of users have some criticism over our operations. Well its time to set the record straight again.
ReplyDeleteRoutes S1/S2 DO NOT FOLLOW EXACTLY THE SAME ROUTE AS ANOTHER OPERATOR. The routes have been developed over the past 6months to offer better travel options for the residents of Ringwood. On route S1 this will see buses return to the Wells Garage bus stop, serving a stop withdrawn by another operator, S1 will also go via Kingsfield an area where there are many elderly residents without access to public transport and also stop at the new Lidl on Christchurch Rd, again somewhere not currently accessible by bus. Route s2 will again use a poorly served stop in Southampton Rd, a new stop in Seymour Rd and a new stop will be added on Parsonage Barn Lane outside Cornmantle Court something that residents have asked for but another operator has done nothing about.
We also provide jobs in the local community and a large amount of revenue will be reinvested into the business, we don't have shareholders and directors to satisfy so our operating costs are lower and we can afford to provide the service for a longer period of day that is presently provided by other operators.
We always welcome anyone to discuss any aspects of our operations with us either on here or directly.
MR S A GARD
Which is all well and good but clearly you didn't find the area to be a goldmine last time otherwise you wouldn't have withdrawn the service when you ran it before. What makes you think it will be any different this time?
DeleteI wish that both you and that other operator continue to provide a long term service to Poulner residents,but am fearful that will not be the outcome. However, if whatI hear, that you will be running 5 minutes before the current bus, then you are playing an old trick, which does not help pax as much as running at a better spaced interval.
ReplyDelete