This brings First back to Totton for the first time since 2014. Our verdict: It won't last, but Bluestar 19 probably will. First haven't successfully taken a route over from Bluestar in the past, but Bluestar have made a success of routes that First have given up on.
Over in Portsmouth, First have some minor changes from 1st September.
See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.
Why are you putting First Bus down give them a chance
ReplyDeleteIt`s doomed as Bluestar will fight their territory fiercely for a start.
DeleteThey will have to make the 12 every 10 minutes
DeleteBluestar aren`t that stupid and know that the route only warrants a twenty minute frequency.
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Deleteit is not the 12 it is the 11
ReplyDeleteBluestar 11 serves West Totton
Deleteyeah but the 12 does not serve calmore
DeleteLee, the 11 serves West Totton via Calmore Corner (Totton College), Calmore Service Station and Morrisons. The 12 serves Calmore via Salisbury Road and Calmore Estate Loop (Calmore Drive).
DeleteI'm surprised that Mr Blogspot hasn't intervened at this point on here by saying:
ReplyDeleteThis is meant to be a bus discussion forum, & not a personal slagging off match...
My personal life should not be discussed on here what so ever mate thank you :)
Delete...and you should not be making personal remarks about others on here, and naming them Reece.
DeleteI never started it lol
Deleteoh, i missed it all, who did reece say it was, is reece getting all keyboard with someone?
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DeleteI am no example by my appalling attitudes in the past and I hope that this altercation comes to an end rather soon. I also defended in the past that a nickname should be mandatory to publish any comment on this blog, as it May dissuade other people of making bully comments towards others.
ReplyDeleteYes I have to agree that the author of this blog is anti-First as it has already doomed the future of this route, when we only know terminus points and it is still unclear about routing and pricing. It may actually be a success, we don’t know. I may be permanently out of the UK but I still have an interest in the bus industry, especially in Bournemouth and Southampton, areas that I lived for nearly 6 years. So let all be social and polite to each other.
Pot, kettle.....................
DeleteI don't know why the author of this blog should be regarded as anti First.He/She is only stating what has happened over recent years in the operations round Southampton and eventual outcomes.It's logical to assume rightly or wrongly the outcome with the Red1 going on past experience with how First perform in the Southampton local area.However the introduction of the First Red1 I'm sure won't in anyway stop Bluestar in what it wishes to do and will just grin and bear it whether it be a success or not.
ReplyDeleteis this just the bs8 and the first 11 thing over again but this time calmore and not hythe
ReplyDeleteYeah it is indeed
DeleteIt should be noted that this will be First Southampton's FIRST brand new route since the 10 to Thornhill was launched back in 2015, and we all know how that ended up. The last brand new route that First launched which still runs today is the 2 between City Centre and Millbrook, some SIX years ago.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why the first 10 which then became an extension of the 2 was withdrawn.it was always on My observations pretty good passenger wise.along the bitterne corridor we are now left with an aweful service on Bluestar 18 daily,a better one on Bluestar 16 plus the First 8 which seems to be boyant.you can dismiss Xelabus X10 as most of their drivers loathe to pick up local travellers between Bitterne and City and return.Lovely buses on Xelabus but some shocking drivers in attitude to customers
DeleteThe Xelabus X10 I must admit can be a god send when I am down the bottom of Cobbett Road waiting for a bus into the City Centre espically when the others are running late.
DeleteSadly a couple of the good ones have appeared to have left the company lately.
Anon @ 10:34 by all means the 2 being First's last "new" route...but again it's not a new as in an original route as it was a carbon copy of the 18 on western side of town.
DeleteIt's not. The Hythe service was a tendered route which First won from Bluestar. Bluestar then decided to make the route commercial, First then lost their subsidy and stopped running the route.
ReplyDeleteThe City Red 1 is a fully commercial route. A totally different ball game!
This was in reply to Reece and Anonymous (1009)!
DeleteIf we all read past articles on this blog about First attack to Bluestar we can verify this isn’t new.
DeleteAnd this time this is about Calmore, untouched area from Marchwood Motorways, purchased them by Solent Blue Line and now part of Bluestar.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
andi you will find it was taken on commercially
Deletecorrection ... this is about Calmore, apart from a short-lived extension by Citybus, an area served by Hampshire Bus which was purchased by Solent Blue Line and the route franchised to Marchwood Motorways, and also independently served by Marchwood Motorways until they were bought by Go South Coast
DeleteChanging subjects:
ReplyDeleteBishops Waltham will have one evening service provided by Stagecoach on Thursdays to Saturdays.
Totton loses school service to Peter Symonds College. Service 661 terminates now in Lordshill
Sunday service on Route 66 in Romsey with 2 extra journeys.
Finally Service N5 In Bournemouth has the frequency reduced to every 40 minutes, but it keeps the same amount of journeys as before. I think it is all about the dead journey back from University to Bournemouth.
I would imagine the 69 Late night service is subsidised by the council
DeleteI also note Romsey seems to be getting popular on a Sunday
DeleteN5 actually loses one journey (7 now, 6 after), but it should make it more reliable. I've never seen how well it keeps to time, but 9 minutes to make the dead run back to the Square and load passengers seems tight, even with quiet roads.
DeleteDoes anyone Remeber X2 Millbrook Flyer
ReplyDeleteAnother failure by First by any chance?
DeleteIt didn't even last that long but things are different now
DeleteWasn't that the service to Millbrook which instead of getting stuck in traffic thru Shirley, would be stuck along Millbrook Rd West?
DeleteI give Cityred 1 till January as Bluestar will soon see it off.
DeleteThe drivers on the Calmore Rota will be dissapointed if that happens
DeleteI expect the new Red 1 will last for quite a time.whether it will make much money is another story.I suspect at present whether run by First or Bluestar very few make much money.If they didn't have the back up of a large organisation they would not survive.However even large organisations have their limits.I presume the new Red 1 will have route branding adorned on the vehicles which should excite all the enthusiasts.I'm surprised First have not kept up the Red image on other routes that wern't under the Red banner, but now are, in upgrading the flags en route reflecting this.A good image is always welcome in other aspects of the service operated.However First and Bluestar both in most cases have excelent bus stop publicity now they provide their own and the Council have nothing to do with it.I note many electronic departure displays operated by the Council are now no longer working.one near where I live has now not been working for about 9 months.I have tried reporting this to the relevant department at the Council but as usual when dealing with a Council it's very difficult to get through to the right person,so I have now given up.Mind you with so many staff cuts over the years at Councils and those that were their and knowing what they were doing, being got rid of, it's easy to understand
Delete"it's easy to understand"
DeleteUnlike your post.
Sorry you don't understand it,that being the post I wrote
DeleteOn the subject of the electronic displays at bus stops, if I remember rightly this was all provided by an EEC grant, but unfortunately there was no budget granted to maintain it in good working order. I suspect it will fall into disrepair and eventually disappear completely.
DeleteYes Anon 1939, it was.
ReplyDeleteWill CityRed 1 be a success, I'm not sure, it will pick up some passengers without a doubt, not sure it warrants a 10 minute frequency.
I am also wondering what action Bluestar will take, if any.
Bluestar won't be to worried if First Bus are running the 1 Non stop after Millbrook Train Station
DeleteAs I said on the previous thread, Bluestar have crunched the numbers and worked out that even if First took every passenger off of the 12, they cannot make a penny with a ten minute frequency. So, other than immediately matching any fare offer that First make, they are so unconcerned about the threat, that they will just wait and watch the one crash and burn. As the article says, First have never taken a route from Bluestar. First overdo their frequency on every route, so make it impossible for themselves to make money. This latest effort shows every sign of them having learned nothing from history.
DeleteOnly time will tell.When published Sunday and Weekday evening service should be interesting
DeleteBluestar are adding later buses on Sundays, before the challenge was published. Can't see any changes to weekday evenings as there really is low use on this route. Even more losses to the First balance sheet, whatever they do.
Deletefirst seem to be totally clueless.
DeleteHey Anon@20:52.....you must be the management accountant for GSC to know the numbers which is great - by virtue of GSC not being worried at all by this move by First there must be enough passengers for both companies, otherwise why wouldn't they react. After all one passenger to First means one less passenger for Bluestar, and Bluestar have the same costs...which means smaller profit....Although as you are the management accountant you dont need the lesson in business management and economics I am sure. However, it might be worth investing in some calendars for the team, as they seem to be struggling to work out the notice periods for bus service changes etc what with both First and Bluestar starting on the same day ...
DeleteAnyway, I am interrupting the First Bashing on here, which is, after all, what this bog site does best, fuelled of course, by the blog owner...
An expected response from a fanatic First supporter who seems to quite wrongly think everyone is anti First.No one employed in management by First or Go ahead would comment on this site
DeleteAnon, 0926: Spot on comments. Some of the posts on here make me laugh and I work for GSC, though thankfully not Bluestar.
DeleteI love how some people comment saying they wish First Left Southampton let when you look on their social media account they don't even live anywhere near Southampton or Hampshire for that matter.
ReplyDeleteThat's todays world Reece
ReplyDeleteSadly it is mate. I never go around saying I hope a Company pulls out of another area that I got nothing to do with.
DeleteI hope First ban this user mate.
I would not imagine First were in the least bit concerned about what's posted about them in most instances
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DeleteI dont believe this is anti First but just giving simple facts and giving an opinion based on what First are like
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if he had wished First good luck on their new route though mate
DeleteThey certainly need plenty of luck to make that idea work.
DeleteIt would be a good Idea if the City Red 1 Starts at Stop CG by the portakabin on Pound Tree Road and then serve the stop outside West Quay.
DeleteWell if you look at the state of the road surface on Vincent's Walk I do wonder how long it will be able to cope with all the extra buses!
ReplyDeleteIt's only going to get worse when the Bluestar 19 is up and running as the service is expected to used the same stop as the First 3 Bluestar 18
DeleteYes,Vincent's Walk is an excelent example of how detremental buses in great numbers plying along a road are to the enviroment.The damage here is a testiment before your very eyes
ReplyDeleteIt's nothing of the sort. It's testament to how bad the Council are at resurfacing roads.
DeleteWell it's all those buses that have caused the problem not the Council.Perhaps the bus companies should be billed for the damage and not the ratepayers.Too many buses in this area as in other areas of Southampton
DeleteBoth companies should make use of the stops along Poundtree Road rather than clogging up Vincents Walk.
DeleteVincent's Walk is an awful road. Dark, narrow, full of bus stops and buses stopped all over the shop. And yet it has ended up being a sort of unofficial bus station.
DeleteIt has been an unofficial Bus Stations for years on End
DeleteWhy have all the bus shelters in Poundtree Road if our bus companies won`t use them?
DeleteNowadays they are used by the Homeless to drink their Alchol and take their drugs mate sadly.
DeleteSenseless to clog up Vincents Walk with buses when Poundtree Road is almost vacant most days now.
DeleteAll those buses have a permit to use the roads it’s called vehicle excise duty ....
ReplyDeleteYes,as do all other motorised vehicles,of which today far to many doing damage to the road structure so we have to live with it as in most cases it's impossible for Councils to keep up with repairs
DeleteContrary to the above - Bluestar were tipped off about the Calmore move by First - hence why they have added Sunday evening journeys on service 12 - Bluestar 19 is the retaliation
ReplyDeleteNot the case. It's actually the other way around.
DeleteNew City Red 1 Timetable now on Website
ReplyDeleteAn interesting timetable.Why they advertise it as fast from Waterloo Road to Totton when in fact it will use all stops is a mystery.No late evening servi ce,however no surprise at this.Interesting also will pick up in Bargate Street as well as West Quay but seems no drop off inward in Hanover Buildings/Vincent's Walk for Debenham's.No fares information I note so far given
ReplyDeleteNot sure it warrants that generous frequency.
DeleteIt does skip Redbridge Roundabout and School and Millbrook Roundabout, though. I assume this means they will use the flyovers then, hence it being slightly faster?
DeleteJust had quick look at 1 timetable & last bus is around 19:45? Whereas the 12's do leave much later than that, albeit one bus per hour.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm sure that Bluestar aren't too concerned?
I`m sure Bluestar will have First off of their patch by the new year at the latest .
DeleteShame the Sunday Timetable finishing at 6 pm, they should have one later bus at around 6:30pm from Calmore, I will suggest them that. All the rest looks very good
ReplyDeleteIsn’t it terrible how first aren’t operating in the evenings ...and yet hardly anyone comments about service 19 from Bluestar being similar timetable hours.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteNo point in operating late evenings when hardly anyone uses a bus.Even on busy routes in Southampton late evening patronege is poor on most.Posibaly the only exception is Unilink
ReplyDeleteActually First Three is quite well loaded in the evenings.
DeleteAlong with services passing Southampton General Hospital.
DeleteHere is some First bashing.....
ReplyDeleteTonight & for the next 10 days or so but not over the bank holiday just to confuse everyone Southampton council have decided to have an overnight Road Closure on the already affected First 3 & Bluestar 18 diversion route: Bursledon Road, Thornhill/Sholing as well as the Hinkler road exit closure!
Bluestar have put it on their website "Please be aware that overnight resurfacing of Bursledon Road, between Antelope Park and Orpen Road, will affect our already-diverting Bluestar 18 for 8 nights between 10pm and 5am on the 20th-23th and 27-30th August. Buses will need to divert after Bitterne Sainsbury's, serving the other stop at Bitterne Leisure centre (Bluestar 3 stop) and running via Thornhill Park Road to Hinkler Road. Buses will then run as far as the Tatwin Crescent roundabout, come back on themselves and up Warburton Hill to Eastpoint. Outbound, buses will run via Warburton Hill and Hinkler Road to Thornhill Park Road, rejoining normal route at Bitterne Leisure centre. Unfortunately this means we will be unable to serve stops at Ruby Road, Upper Deacon Road and North East Road in both directions. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause." but nothing I could see on First's. So God help the poor First 3 passenger!
Quite agree,nothing on First website about Bursledon Road.The First website is shocking for passenger information as too diversions etc.Most days the only information given is about peak hour traffic through St.Denys on route 7.Rare is anything else mentioned.Their twitter and facebook site might as well be shut down.Still this is what happens when not run locally but from somewhere else in the UK w here those operating it haven't a clue about a local area
DeleteI was on a City Red 9 back home tonight after the Sholing FC Match - The Roadworks were so bad that the bus could not operate alongside Bursledon the Driver had to go through Hightown Eastpoint then turn Left on Hinkler Road and right onto Thornhill Park Road to Bitterne just as well not many 9s at night time.
ReplyDeleteSurely the driver would have from Eastpoint at the bottom of Warburton Road turned right onto Hinkler Road then after traversing Hinkler Road turned left into Thornhill Park Road to proceed to Bitterne.For once Thornhill Park Road in just a few hours must have seen more buses than it does all day
DeleteYes we did go that way mate On the 9 through Thornhill Park Road. He has only been back in the job after 8 and a half months away as well
DeleteTotally agree about Bluestar info about diversions etc being mentioned in good time. Whereas First hardly ever inform folk about diversions. I'm actually amazed they've put up Pride info already, seeing as how clueless & late they were on the HSBC cycling event. They were even more clueless about the West End Rd bridge closure as well but when they answer all tweets from Leeds...
ReplyDeleteMany a time on Twitter First get asked about say what their plans around So'ton general hosp are? I've not heard, I'll get back to u is their usual reply. Whoever asks keeps asking without any luck.
But Bluestar already put info online, so I tell them to look at what they say, as same route is taken in immediate vicinity of hosp.
It really is time for this page to be renamed 'The Bluestar Appreciation Society'.
ReplyDeleteToo many amateur know it alls talking out of their backsides.
What else can you expect when First fails in information to its customers.About time all the First supporters got in touch with them and suggested they provide a better service on their website to their customers.The problem is most First supporters are too frightened to challenge them for fear of being barred on their websites.It's First drivers I have the most respect for who have to put up with the flack from the public due to in many instances poor management decissions.their twitter page is shocking in many instances.
DeleteI refer you to the last sentence in my post.
DeleteCome back to me when your spelling and punctuation is correct.
Yes-Sorry about the word decisions having an extra s in it.I did take note of your last sentence,however many in their comments are correct about First even as amateurs
DeleteShame some people are unwilling to face the fact that First are a useless outfit.
DeleteAnonymous21 August 2019 at 22:56 - You typify and justify my original comment, thank you.
DeleteA first shareholder by any chance?
DeleteIt seems that First have woken up & finally shared some info about Bursledon Rd on Twitter & their website.
ReplyDeleteAgree that First is not very good in updating people regarding changes due to roadworks/road closures.
ReplyDeleteHowever I think they are trying to change that and they put the information about Bursledon Road today, better than sometimes no info at all.
Yes.Perhaps someone read the comments on this site about the lack of information by us amateurs in the words of a previous commenentator
DeleteI very much doubt it.
DeleteWhat's a "commenentator"?
Commentator in fact.Just spelt it incorrect so you could pick the fact up and you could post about it as you seem to like spelling errors by others on this site
DeleteLooks like someone is missing their vocation on here...Daily Echo is awful for typos as well. I'm surprised they don't advertise for a proofreader.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.Spelling mistakes are quite common in todays world.Most of us have the intelligence to overlook this but some can't and like to make a song and dance over it sadly
DeleteIf most of you had intelligence you wouldn't be making spelling mistakes.
DeleteI always think if you come on any form of social media and start criticising organisations or individuals you need to be spot on with spelling and punctuation, otherwise you look a tad foolish.
By luck most of those who post here don't have your way of thinking.It's only a blog site that all may post on.Frankly I don't know why you bother to read peoples post with such a high standard of expectation from others.
DeleteI see the RMT have announced their next BlueStar action; no overtime and no rest days.
ReplyDeleteDo they have enough information as to the state of staffing to not call an all out strike?
I am very much a person who prefers this sort of action short of a strike as it legitimately shows the amount of goodwill staff are forced to repay.
It's the staffs choice to do overtime
DeleteYes Reece, however it is also the recommendation of their Union to remove that because they do not think they are being paid enough.
DeleteI appreciate you may not understand the concept of unionization.
What about drivers who are not part of the union
DeleteWell obviously they can do whatever they want, although they get the benefit of the RMT collective bargaining as well.
DeleteIt's like getting getting money from the Government but refusing to do anything to earn it.
The union membership is much less than one in three, so it will have only a small impact. The non union members will be rubbing their hands with glee at almost unlimited overtime ready for Christmas.
DeleteThe changes to Southern Vectis at the beginning of Sept are to do with school journeys.
ReplyDeleteJust spoke to a Bluestar supervisor who said I shouldn't really say this but we are really struggling and up to nearly 50 drivers short. Can't see how we can cover what we've got let alone new 19, Barton and more buses on the 12.
ReplyDeleteLoan drivers might be needed then
DeleteThey should have recruited trainee drivers when they apply with a provision cat 2 licence already in place then!
DeleteIs the Bluestar 12 being changed as well
DeleteBluestar 12 will have later evening journeys on Sundays from Sept.
DeleteI doubt the late rota has any problems with staff shortage anyway
Delete.... says Reece the armchair expert in rota and staffing management.
DeleteLater journeys on 12 requires one driver only
DeleteI would imagine the Late Rotas are not a problem as lots of drivers try to get on them
DeleteSeveral drivers from Southern Vectis are going over to Bluestar from September to help cover shifts, including the 19's. They will be there until Christmas time. There is a good dozen or so going across the water.
DeleteThat is going to be intresting
DeleteStaffing is always likely to be an issue - there are more buses operating in Southampton than the traffic demands - therefore more drivers are required than is normal - and seeing that bus driving is not the best-paid job in the world there is always likely to be a shortfall
DeleteSome people even regard someone who is a bus driver as having a very low form of job.In fact many would regard a van delivery driver for a supermarket on a much higher level
DeleteWith all these new School/College contracts from September 2019,plus the new 19,will Bluestar be able to cope with it all?
ReplyDeleteAs you saw above on the previous comment, there will be some drivers on loan from the Isle of Wight
DeleteSo there might be,but that doesn't solve the staff problem long term
DeleteThe idea is for the company to recruit new drivers and then they go back to the Island
DeleteWould have thought it better to have the drivers to operate the services in the first place instead of having to rely on outsiders
DeleteYes it would but I'm sure they will do just a good job as well mate.
DeleteDon't forget in the Isle of Wight the timetables change to a Winter Timetable operation
DeleteNot much of a difference between winter and summer services on Southern Vectis apart from the breezer`s gradually fizzling out up till the end of Oct.
DeleteAlso don't forget that First already have loan drivers in from as far away as Edinburgh, before they start their new service. So nobody can get the staff that they need locally, but it's always one way traffic between First and Bluestar, unless Bluestar sacked them!
ReplyDeleteOne from East Stirling as well
DeleteThat’s not actually the case as staff leave Bluestar to come to first (even if they are not sacked). Just a fact that there is free
DeleteMovement in both directions.
I think the last one to do that voluntarily was at least four years ago!
DeleteFirst have made some very astute decisions to maximize the impact of the new service on Bluestar - so either they have paid for someone to sit on a bus all week travelling between Southampton and Totton or they have asked an ex-Bluestar driver now working for them
DeleteAstute decisions? Really? A ten minute frequency on a route with only half that potential, which is Bluestars ninth most profitable route, hardly looks astute to me! Not sure what anyone could learn by sitting on a bus all week, on such a simple route, so maybe the ex Bluestar driver is a plant to lead First up the wrong path?
DeleteIndeed.Calmore not the best of potential with a 10 minute service
DeleteVery similar to a 15 min service trying to compete with an 8 min service ?
DeleteActually at least First are providing a more frequent service than Bluestar to Calmore. The 19 is a total waste of time; half the frequency of the 3, and no evening services. Apart from the odd passholder, who is going to use it? I doubt either firm will make money. IMHO First should have gone back onto the 10 (Thornhill to City) where they did have a real impact. Has anyone worked out what the GSC Piano Bus episode was all about?
DeleteThey are planning on making the Bluestar 19 every 10 minutes next year and as for the 1 I'm afraid Totton is where the real battle is and Bluestar have more of a choice from Totton
DeleteIf Bluestar are that confident about service 19 why don’t they make it every 10 mins from the start ....
DeleteThe way that Bluestar work things, they do it in stages so that the next stage comes in as soon as the previous stage is in profit. It's good business and a whole lot better than throwing the kitchen sink at it and hoping that it might work!
DeleteI have been told it could be extended To Lordshill as well
DeleteTo answer the question about the piano bus, it was a £750 wrap, together with an employee who could tickle the ivories, which has given them fantastic publicity around every group company, far cheaper than any advert. They are very good at being innovative, and their marketing guru keeps winning top awards for her work, which in turn gives them even more free publicity. Genius!
DeleteDoesn’t make the reliability or punctuality any better though !
DeleteAstute decisions by First - Bluestar offer a 10-minute frequency to Totton so are First. The greater share of traffic beyond Totton comes from Calmore so First are concentrating there. Most delays, often crippling delays occur at Millbrook roundabout so First are indicating that they will not serve the stop. Some of the heaviest loadings on Calmore services are on Sundays when Bluestar run hourly so First are offering an improved service. Loadings on Saturday are relatively light so First are not offering the 10 minute frequency. Bluestar frequency is less in the early evening so First are running more frequently. Whether the operation is actually viable remains to be seen.
DeleteRegarding a future route 19 extension to Lordshill, I think Bluestar should be innovative and rather than send it down Shirley High Street like every other bus does, it should be routed via Hill Lane, Winchester Road and Dale Road to the General Hospital. From there to Lordshill, it should operate via Lords Hill Way as First currently have a better service along that route. This routing would provide a shorter journey for passengers wishing to travel between Thornhill and the hospital than First's route 3, while avoiding further clogging up Shirley High Street, which already has direct Bluestar links to Woolston and Thornhill with routes 17 and 18 respectively.
Delete@Anon28 August 2019 at 19:24
DeleteSounds like a nerve has been touched. How do you know how much the wrap cost?? Do you work at Towngate House or Poole Bus Station?
The reason Hill lane hasn`t got a decent bus service now is due to poor patronage so why would BS run along there?
DeleteExactly another reason the 40 is being withdrawn
DeleteAnon 1/9/19 @ 23:17, Yes that may be the case right now but if you started operating a direct service with a 10 minute frequency that way, people travelling between Lordshill/General Hospital and Southampton City Centre would use that route over B*17/First 3 as it would avoid the congestion and bunching buses down Shirley High Street. Hill Lane patronage might even increase significantly if it starts getting a decent service.
DeleteExactly, when First had the 5A running Lordshill to City via Hill Lane every 20 minutes, it was well used and ran all day.
DeleteUsed to often stop at Almost every stop too and the stop by Archers Road was always well used.
However due to cuts to frequency and evening services cut, people stood using it.
If there was a good frequent all day service back along Hill Lane it would become well used over time. Wouldn't happen overnight but it would after a while.
stopped* not stood
DeleteIf it was as well used as you claim then it would not have been cut back in frequency.
DeletePeople been saying about they want a service from Totton to General Hospital, possibly Bluestar could extend one of their 17s to Totton on a 30/60 minute Frequency, possibly could be done in 5 minutes from Adanac Park down the M271.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it would happen though, but a possibility rather than having a whole new service.
I believe that option is to be considered. You know those journeys between City Centre/Shirley and Guernsey Close?
DeleteThey should be renumbered 17A and extended to Totton, via M271 and only as far as St. Theresa's Church.
Firstly I would just run that route between Shirley and Guernsey Close, then non-stop to Totton Rail Station and finishing at Totton Town Centre.
If I see that there is a demand, I would run an hourly bus service between the points mentioned above, and only between 9am-3pm. Finally I would think of having a Monday - Saturday service between 7am-7pm, every hour.
I think that route Shirley - Totton via SGH, Aldermoor, Guernsey Close and M271 can be done in 30 minutes.
M271 can be so so slow though! Especially at ironically named rush hour.
DeleteWheelers' services continue to shrink. As of next Monday, their Andover to Salisbury service ceases, replaced by a twice-daily service from Andover to the Wallops, and by an entirely separate Stagecoach service from winterslow to Salisbury.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much longer the W1 will last?
DeleteHow much longer will any of Wheeler's routes last would be a bettr question
DeleteWell the T20 runs for the last time tonight
DeleteXelabus have no problems recruiting staff and there is a waiting list! I was asked if I would like to go to Bluestar being a driver at Xelabus but NO THANKS, you get treated as a human being at Xela. Would never leave and that is echoed by all staff here.
ReplyDeleteI used to work there and that's not true lol
DeleteWhat would you do if Xelabus had lost all of their council contracted work?
DeleteI'm sure you would have no choice but to move to Bluestar then
DeleteWell you must have been one of the ones that was never satisfied or you were dismissed! They still have a waiting list. All last weekend and through the summer months we have all enjoyed some super contracts for special events and we have a packed school and college network of routes. The bus services are not a big issue as Xela have won more school work and that gives the company a major income.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when the stupid comments made by some First supporters against Bluestar and those by Bluestar supporters against First will cease on this site.The site is for reporting happenings mainly in the future by all local operators and not silly imature adults sniping at each other.About time the operator of this site put their foot down and deleted all such virile comments
ReplyDelete