Here's the current network:
...and here's the network that will run from Sunday:
Details of all the changes are here, but here's a quick summary. Click the route numbers for the new timetables:
1/1C Poole-Christchurch The 1 is rerouted to take the 3's old route in Poole, with the 1's old route becoming the 1C. With the 3 being cut back to Westbourne, this means Yellow will only have 4 buses an hour to Poole on Mon-Sat daytimes, while More M1/M2 run every 3/4 mins. There will still be 8 buses an hour between Bournemouth and Christchurch on the 1/1C.
1A Town Centre-Somerford Minor changes.
1B Town Centre-Somerford The main Mon-Sat daytime frequency is cut from every 15 to every 20 mins with most daytime buses running to Two Rivers Meet. Somerford drops from two buses to one an hour (shuttle from Christchurch) for most of weekday daytimes with a large gap in service in the afternoon. Somerford loses all of its 1B Saturday service.
2 Town Centre-Castlepoint More Mon-Sat evening journeys.
3/3A Westbourne-Royal Bournemouth Hospital The 3A is withdrawn and the 3 is amended to run between Westbourne and Bournemouth Hospital. The combined Mon-Sat daytime frequency drops from 8 to 6 buses an hour. For Poole, use the 1/1C.
4/4A Town Centre-Castlepoint/Bearwood Minor changes.
5/5A Town Centre-Kinson Minor changes.
6 Town Centre-Bearwood Minor changes.
8 Boscombe-Mountbatten No longer serves Alderney. Most journeys curtailed to only run as far as Wallisdown Roundabout, with only peak hour journeys running to Mountbatten.
18 Town Centre-Broadstone Minor changes.
36 Talbot View-Kinson Minor changes.
737 Town Centre-Airport Minor changes.
Earlier this week, we reported on nationwide problems with using First's mTicket app. A full working week after the problems first surfaced, they are still not solved.
The app has been promoted by First as a way to speed up boarding by taking payments off the bus. Passengers have been incentivised to use it by offering discounts on many tickets. When it works, it works well. For it to fail for a full week at the busiest times every day is shocking. A company the size of First should have been able to resolve it by now. Has any other operator had such major ticketing problems for a full week?
Again. This isn't First's fault... And yes, several other operators have faced the exact same issues this week: Brighton & Hove, Arriva UK and McGills to name just three.
ReplyDeleteCorethree, the app provider for these companies, had a server failure which means they can't cope with the peak time spikes in ticket activations & purchases.
When Corethree get a new server up and running and then connected to their infrastructure it should all be back to normal. Why they haven't been able to connect a new server to their stack by now I don't know, but they say they're working on it: https://twitter.com/Corethree/status/1036993764231929856
You mention B&H having problems, and that is part of GA group. Have no other group members installed the app, so are not affected, or is the immunity just blind luck?
DeleteI believe that the Brighton & Hove app issues were related to Corethree - they're certainly listed as a customer of Corethree's on their website (http://www.corethree.net/Home/Index/30/our-clients)
DeleteI haven't heard of any app issues for other Go Ahead companies, so maybe they've all switched to the new provider?
It looks like Brighton & Hove switched across to the new Go-Ahead app provider this week based on the date of the reviews for the new app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brightonhove.bus&showAllReviews=true
I mean sure, any way to dig at First even if the app failure isn't their fault as mentioned above... As people said on the last post, THIS ISN'T FIRST'S FAULT. Stop this anti-First bias - again as mentioned above, this has happened to several operators this week. To say this is First's fault is poor research, even poorer after many corrected you after your last post...
ReplyDeleteWell First are to blame for over emphasising how good this technology is and making out it's the only way people should pay. First should stop this 'pay the technology way' nonsense and accept the fact cash is best, it means you get to work rather than have to run to a cash machine for cash, it means you don't have to worry about having to carry extra cash just in case the technology fails, it means you don't need to have a bloody smart phone! Hate the dam things by the way.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, First have never promoted the app as the only way to pay - Contactless (using credit/debit card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay), cash and their smartcard are also available payment methods and totally unaffected by the app outage.
DeleteSecondly, First are far from the only operator to promote mobile ticketing: it's more secure, reduces ticket fraud, lowers cost for operators and reduces dwell times.
Some passengers, particularly teenagers and young adults, find digital payentsp far more convenient than cash - as we rarely have cash on us!
Thirdly, you're more than welcome to live in the dark ages and pay using cash for the foreseeable future. That's your choice!
First are promoting cheaper fares if you use the app,perhaps you should pay more attention when a Firstbus pulls up a stop as it`s advertised next to the door.
DeleteI'm very well aware of the cheaper tickets available on the app. It's a commonly used tactic by various operators (including Go Ahead's Bluestar) to promote their app(s). You'll usually find that the same discounts are available on the operator's smartcard too.
DeleteOperators offer these promotions to encourage use of their app/smartcard because of the advantages I have mentioned previously (reduced dwell times, lower fraud, cheaper to handle payment, etc).
Bluestar push contactless and their "Key" more than the app unlike First who were soo slow to catch on to smartcards.
DeleteSmartcards are yesterday's technology to be honest - app and contactless are the way forward - why are smartcards a bit behind the curve - the customer has to apply and get one usually, where as a mobile phones apps are easier as the customer (in the main) usually already has the smartphone in the first place....with the younger generation there isn't many who dont have a smartphone...
DeleteSmartcards are still better than the app as your phone can run out of battery juice and then you`re screwed unlike a smartcard.
DeleteWith the app you can run out of juice or have a technology crash, whilst smart cards can snap or have a technology issue. The only way to know you are going to get a ride on your bus is to carry good old fashioned cash. I love living in the dark ages, and sniggering when the wise young folk get it so wrong!
DeleteYour good old fashioned paper tickets aren't infallible either - have you ever lost a paper season ticket or had one damaged?
DeleteAt least with app, contactless and smartcard purchases you have proof of purchase (your bank statements), so can claim for a full refund on any additional tickets you purchase - try doing that on a cash payment!
You'd have to be pretty careless to snap a smartcard and any decent ticket machine will report a clear error message to the driver if the card is invalid or broken. The driver *should* allow the passenger to travel if the card reports an error - such as a defective card, broken reader on machine, or network issue - (unless of course that error is the card hasn't got a ticket on it)!
If your phone runs out of juice or crashes as you board most drivers will check your ticket as you alight. I've had that happen to me before - my phone crashed just as the bus pulled onto the stand - a quick word to the driver and they let me board and checked my ticket as I alighted. A common sense approach!
I live myself in an area served solely by First. The app still does not work and I actually use their mobile ticketing app to get me around, but it looks like the paper ticket generally does not let you down. I know it would be too heavy (the size of the app) but it would be a nice idea to have a similar app like Yellow Buses does. It is the most complete on the market, pretty much with every single feature you could imagine.
ReplyDeleteI am leaving the area soon and I will miss the frequency of my bus but that's all.
You can still use the First app to travel - just purchase and activate your tickets outside of peak hours. You can also activate your tickets at any time by putting it in aeroplane mode (which switches off data connections) and the ticket will activate successfully on your phone.
DeleteThe Yellow Buses app is brilliant - it's produced by the "Passenger" team who also developed the Reading Buses, Transdev Go and Nottingham City Transport apps. They do a great job - other operators should switch across to Base/Passenger to get the great app!
Yrs ago I used a First annual photo card ticket, & driver usually waved u on or sometimes pressed a button. I only use Bluestar key these days & it's better in that it keeps tabs on your journeys. The point I'm making is that the key proves which buses are getting used & at what times, whereas with First annual- there'd be no tracking & dare I say that could've been 1 aspect as to why routes like the 1 got withdrawn? Seeing as no record of my journey on that bus?
ReplyDeleteSince First have upgraded to Ticketer machines all of their season tickets have QR codes which passengers need to scan when boarding. That means that they are now keeping track of journeys undertaken.
DeleteIs it likely the 17 is being Extended to Weston on what I have heard?
ReplyDeleteNo immediate plans for Bluestar to extend their 17 to Weston-Too much gossip as usual I suspect.Weston has more than enough buses at present without additional ones
DeleteYou may well think that, but I could not possibly comment! Many may have thought that Millbrook had plenty of buses, but now it has about double the number first thought of. I think it highly likely that we will all hear the big news very soon.
DeleteThe Bluestar 17 presuming that's the route they want to go to Weston will go via Central Bridge and also stop at Terminus Terrace.
DeleteIs that the routing on the registration with the DVSA ?
DeleteSorry to disappoint, but the Bluestar 17 service registration isn't showing any changes: https://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/511956/
DeleteNot yet, but it will do soon.
DeleteMy source tells me the the 16 will be merged into the 17 to create one route running every 10 between Townhill and Lordshill putting even more pressure on the citybus number 7
DeleteI think they want to destroy the 7 which is there most popular and profitable route
This announcement should be made very soon according to my source
Be handy if it's true, as I get 16 to town, & then 17 or 4 to Lordshill to visit someone, then same in reverse to get home. But need to be careful of bottlenecks en route.
DeleteWould not rely on all these rumours.One states the 17 will extend to Weston,and now another states the 16 and 17 will be combined.No one I have spoken to at Bluestar has any knowledge of any such moves and as for City Red 7 being First's most profitable route I would be most surprised.In fact I would be surprised if anything they operate in Southampton was that boyant in renumeration
DeleteI've also read comments suggesting that loadings on the 16 aren't great... Let's be honest, we won't know what's happening until it happens. There are too many conflicting rumours.
DeleteThe link above now shows a new update to Bluestar 17 effective on the 11th November, it says it's a variation. Whether this is just a timetable change or the rumoured extension to Weston is anyone's guess.
DeleteI think it will just be a timetable change or a minor route change as the date is the same as the other Bluestar changes.
We will just have to wait and see until further news is revealed but there is definitely a change to the 17.
The rumours are true, Bluestar 17 will be going to Weston, and will also serve Adanac Park.
Deletehttps://www.vehicle-operator-licensing.service.gov.uk/search/find-registered-local-bus-services/details/525904/
First wessex have timetables for the new bridport town bus on bus stops but not on there website
ReplyDeleteWell better on the stops it's serving-More than likely traveline show it on their website
DeleteThe timetable is available on the Bridport town council website (https://www.bridport-tc.gov.uk/2018/08/14/new-bus-service-will-be-practical-and-sociable/)
DeleteHere's a direct link to the PDF timetable, complete with route map: https://www.bridport-tc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Service-7-August-2018.pdf
Not sure why it's not on the First website though!
Websites
ReplyDeleteAll the First websites publicity for the September changes seems to have been rather last minute. There appears to have been more work to do than the staff to do it. First Wessex doesn't have the new 7, but also doesn't mention the winter changes for 23rd.
Yellow buses put out there winter changes quite early, but the message seemed odd and wasn't proof read. The changes to the 1 and new 1C are not mentioned, nor the extra evening services. The pdf for the 1,1C is still missing the Saturday service from Poole after 16:00 and the Sunday service is a mess - you can't show a 40 minute service with a hourly repeat pattern, which also only has 2 journeys per hour from Poole, not 3.
Now that the winter service has been running for 2 days, the Routes and Maps page seems to have had only a single edit to add 1C. However the 1,1C does not serve Ashley Cross, but the 3,3A still goes to Poole and Ashley Cross. The 8 also still goes to Alderney West and the Network map is still the April one even though the September one is on the announcement page.
When you read so many comments from different people about bus company websites,it makes you wonder if there is anyone left in their employment that is capable of doing a reasonable job in providing correct information.It's quite clear in many instances that the staff are no longer there to update things correctly,and in the end the only looser is the potential customer.Thank goodness we have Traveline who in the main do an excelent job in keeping us informed well ahead of any change.
DeleteTo be fair, running and keeping a website up to date is far more work than you realise. I have done it.
DeleteThe other big problem is communications. You are not in all places at all times, nor do you necessarily know the background (eg geography) of what you are updating. Therefore if no one tells you, mistakes and non-updates just happen for lack of knowledge. The total information content of a website is often well underestimated and thus the information and time needed to keep it correct is not allowed for.
YB kept the changes to the 1B in Somerford quiet... I can't see that going down particularly well for those who want to go further than Christchurch.
ReplyDeleteThey kept a lot quiet! After anouncing the changes a couple of weeks ago, their social media has been somewhat silent about them. I didn't even realise it was Sunday they changed - and I try to keep up to date.
DeleteI'm not sure the driver of the 3a earlier realised his route no longer existed either!!
They also withdrew service 25 quietly.
DeleteAny ideas why I saw a Stagecoach training bus, complete with trainee and hi-vis wearer roaming around down by Southampton Town Quay this afternoon?
ReplyDeleteI guess you just seen it. What is it going on?
DeleteI'm sure it's just random for it to be there. Salisbury Reds ones are often in Southampton
DeleteMaybe the Stagecoach trainer fancied a different route of scenary.
DeleteMaybe they were collecting someone who had been spying on Vectis on the Island with visions of staging a takeover....
Stagecoach training buses often travel to areas that aren't served by Stagecoach - Southampton and Gosport are two favourites. Certainly wouldn't read anything into it!
DeleteWhen i did my licence with stagecoach we went all over the place. Everyday somewere different.
ReplyDeleteI got told by someone that works at First Empress Road as a driver that they only now have 127 drivers but when the network was a lot bigger 10 years ago there was 240 odd Drivers
ReplyDelete