The X11 is saved for now. Xelabus have confirmed they will run it until the end of their current contract with Southampton City Council in December 2020. What happens after that is up to the council.
First are amending the daytime frequencies of City Red routes 7 and 11 slightly from tomorrow. They'll still be more or less turn-up-and-go, with the 7 every 10 minutes weekday daytimes and the 11 every 7/8 mins off peak and every 6 mins in the weekday rush hours and every 8 mins Saturday daytimes.
In Bournemouth, Yellow Buses have announced changes to most routes from 23rd February. The full new timetables have not yet been released, but the main change is on the 1, which will no longer serve Poole Bus Station, running instead to the railway station.
See all upcoming changes across the region at-a-glance here.
Who would have thought we would see the dramatic day that Yellow Buses decide they have had enough of Poole Bus Station?
ReplyDeleteWouldn't really call it "dramatic." A little inconvenient for anyone connecting from the 1 I guess.
DeleteThey have stopped using it before...that is how the old 30 ended up running to Poole Railway Station, Quay and Ferry Terminal for a number of years.
DeleteDuring this current stint, they have been using it since 2005 when they took on the old 101 (Bmth-Penn Hill-Poole) & 147 (Bmth-Canford Cliffs-Poole) from Wilts & Dorset. At about the same time, they routed the 30 (Boscombe-Uni-Poole) & 40 (Castlepoint-Uni-Poole) into Poole Bus Station. During the Winter 2005 timetable, the 101 was merged into the current 22 route (Somerford-Christchurch-Bournemouth).
Yes not dramatic at all... actually a bit convenient for those living near Poole Park having a sunday service to the station, and not just monday to saturday with the route ONE from More.
DeleteAll the rest I think they will save a lot of money with these changes, as frequencies are altered and less buses used during weekends.
Morebus was using a single decker on the X3 yesterday and did a week or two ago. Is the Ringwood depot, so short it cannot provide something more appropriate for the route?
ReplyDeleteThere is a national shortage of double deck vehicles. Orders for new ones are log jammed for two years ahead. Operational difficulties mean that it is sometimes better to send a single out, rather than delay or cancel. No big deal on most routes.
DeleteIn many areas the bus industry is in a mess.Staff shortages being top of the list,together with conjestion problems.In todays world in most areas but not all buses are loosing the battle to survive
Deletemorebus using solo buses on x1/x2 recently
DeleteIan @11:58
ReplyDeleteYour statement is incorrect. A brand new double decker can be ordered today, built to order and delivered within approximately six months. Of course there is now limited choice on the market compared to 20 years ago.
When are the next new buses For Go Aheads Bluestar Arriving I wonder?
DeleteThey already have them Reece. Lots of spare vehicles at the moment, ready for the next stranglehold!
DeleteOnly if ordered from Egypt. Neither British supplier can deal with it for two years.
DeleteBut Bluestar have no spare space to park them and are very very short of drivers, so the “stranglehold” might be just an imagination running on overdrive....
DeleteMany of these buses are being stockpiled in readiness for the tendered services won by
DeleteGo Cornwall
No, bluestar have what they need for their next expansion and have taken another plot of land for future use. Drivers may be a different problem!
DeleteWhat Is their next expansion plans?
DeleteIndeed.What's their next expansion.At present they don't have enough staff to operate what they do.Also in what certain staff tell Me in talking to them they also have a bus shortage.I would think at the moment they are in a bit of a mess.In what I observe they run certain routes that are a disaster in patronage.Can someone inform Me who is paying for this nonsense,an example being the 19.If it's been so successful why has not as promised the frequency been increased.bluestar ould be better off puting more modern vehicles on the 16 which has improved 100% since it was first rerouted via Northam some time ago.The current ex Uni-link buses on it are cr*p and need attention to them on faults such as the centre exit where the doors are faulty where the doors are faulty due to missing brushes at the foot of them.How they pass MOT fails Me and proves the MOT examiners are not upto standard in allowing the vehicles on the road
DeleteAnonymous 14:05 the ex unilink on the 17 are no better,since the start Bluestar have been told they are unsuitable
DeleteAnon 29Jan at 14:05
DeleteNot to forget a Bluestar Single Decker was involved in an accident on Friday Night due to a speeding vehicle in which I had saw the aftermath of the incident my self on the way back from Hamble
Anon@14:05 answered their own question as to why the frequency of the 19 hasn`t increased by saying there`s a staff shortage.
DeleteOr more to the point bad loadings.I have not noticed Bluestar holding back in the past staff shortage or not.
DeleteDriver Shortages did not stop the 19 being introduced
DeleteThe 19 needs to be withdrawn. Sorry Bluestar, you lost this one!
DeleteAll those brand new vehicles put on a route that was not required instead of putting them on another route which needs an upgrade such as the 16.whate a waste of resources.
DeleteClaudio, it's a bit early to say that bluestar have lost the battle on the 19 I think? It has only just started on a part of the route, with a limited timetable. I suspect it will very soon be extended to the full route with a fully competitive timetable. They know exactly what they are doing with it and what the target is for the future, but as is normal for them, they expand in a controlled and measured fashion. Have another look in two years time and the picture will be completely different.
DeleteYes I agree it is waste of time with the 19. Such a shame as well, as they clearly had new vehicles ordered which they didn’t know what to do with and it would have been far better to have put the new ones on the 16.
DeleteSadly, we all have to wait until April to see what is next out of the bluestar box of tricks, but all the planning is well advanced, with vehicles and accommodation for them in place! Can't imagine that they have everything else ready, but have forgotten about drivers, can you? The 19 is the obvious one, as they have loads of the e200 new style already working on various routes, awaiting their new role. Also the extra one buses may be a big clue.
ReplyDelete...as always what a load of tosh ..your are just trying to hype everyone up
ReplyDeleteThis hype is just as true as the 11 going to be extended to Central Station...
Deletethe bloody town is overbused, not just Weston, Millbrook.
Woolston always was a chaos but now with a single bus on average every 40 seconds and in reality buses on both sides and in big number (5 or more) it won’t be long until Bridge Link Road will be in the same state as Vincent’s Walk...
shame on the bus companies as this competition went way too far!
This Competition battle is not over yet that's for sure
DeleteGood morning Mr Tosh at 0644. As usual, you have no arguement to put, so resort to accusing posters of making things up to hype things, without any evidence. My evidence is plain for everyone to see, in that bluestar already have lots of new 69 plate vehicles of exactly the same types used on the 1 and 19, with no obvious other use. It seems that as usual, they have planned well ahead.
DeleteI have no idea how many buses would be saved with this emergency measure, but a bus every 10 minutes on all core routes (First 2, 3, 7, 11 (First 1 is not a core route sorry); Bluestar 17 and 18), would be better to stop the mess that Southampton is.
ReplyDeleteI imagine saving a few buses would benefit the companies, struggling with staff shortages and short cash flow.
That`s why buses should never have been privatised in 1986 by a prime minister who famously said that if you`re a guy over 40 and still using buses then you`re a failure.
DeleteWhat has everyone been up to today :) All of you been on the buses today guys and gals :)
ReplyDeleteI note Stagecoach has released its new livery for its vehicles.Myself I'm not particularly impressed by it.The present standard livery is instantly recogniseable throughout the Country.However it's been designed on customer feedback in which the customer said they wanted something more recogniseable.It's being rolled out over the next 3 years to the fleet
ReplyDeleteFurther details have been released about the changes on yellow buses:
ReplyDeleteService 1b finishes service at around 7.30pm every day instead of the current 11pm, so Cranleigh Road in Southbourne has lost its evening service;
the very last 1 service after midnight is withdrawn;
service 1a: I don't understand the extension of the 00:05 to New Milton, for me it sounds way too late, I would do instead the 22:05 as the extension to New Milton and return at 22:59 from New Milton, it will be a fiasco, I'm afraid;
Service 2 with a frequency of every 40 minutes in the evening, that makes sense and removes one bus out of the route. Also the extension to Kinson on Sundays makes sense, so it is a good move (the last bus to Kinson on service 2 starts from Bournemouth at 16:30);
I am unsure whether the 6 and the 2 will interwork on Sundays, as the times are quite tight.
I think the 0005 1A from Bournemouth to New Milton is designed to attract people who would otherwise catch the train - the last train from Bournemouth towards New Milton departs at 2312. The last 1A journey could be filling a useful gap in the market.
DeleteIf Claudio lived in Bournemouth he might know that the 2312 train from Bournemouth to New Milton is relatively well patronised - a bus service from New Milton at 2259 would, I suspect, be the fiasco
Deletecertainly a good idea, people who like or have to stay late in town will use this service instead of taxi etc
DeleteI would have thought many in New Milton recently would be useing the bus due to the rail service being in such a mess
DeleteDear Anonymous I lived in Bournemouth for 4 years and I had no idea, like 95% of all Bournemouthians that the 23:12 train to New Milton is well patronised.
DeleteAnd I am unsure whether such patronage would like to spend 50 minutes on a bus to get to New Milton, instead of around 20 minutes on a bus.
Instead of 20 minutes on a train*
DeleteIf I visited my customary evening haunt in Bournemouth but lived in the centre of New Milton population wise and thus got off the 2312 train at a different station to the one I use, I think the door to door journey would take 55 minutes whereas the door to door journey time for the bus would be 65 minutes - so for 10 extra minutes I can stay an extra hour in Bournemouth and spend three times as long (train journey is 17 mins) in the warm with free wi-fi and better personal security overall as well
DeleteThe thing is, an ordinary person does not do the maths and go for the fastest service (ish).
DeleteBut you have a good point. Unfortunately, if only you use the service, it would mean that the service would eventually be withdrawn anyway.
To be fair, I live 3 minutes walk from Bournemouth station and also have no idea how well-used the last train is!
DeleteI suspect YB have done their research, and a late bus back to New Milton could be very well used.
MaxStreetlies have started to arrive at Empress Road in preparation for the City Red 3 Service from Lordshill to Thornhill via City Centre.
ReplyDeleteAs observed my self when walking past the bus depot earlier today.
Not much of an improvement for those who use City Red 3 then.
DeleteThe three will be rebranded City Red 3 when the Max Streetlites are in operation
DeleteAs stated no improvement to the 3.Just a load of worn out vehicles transferred from the Portsmouth area to prop the 3 up
DeleteIt’s amazing isn’t it. If Bluestar cascade buses around it’s fine, but if FirstBus cascades vehicles around it’s a tragedy and the worst possible decision! Whatever you think the buses are hardly worn out - they are 6 years old. Yet again ill informed armchair operators. 99% of passengers have no interest in the make/model of the bus as long it gets you from A and B, on time and is reasonably comfortable.
DeleteAnonymous 15:32 difference being bus enthusiasts typically dont like streetlites which of Bluestar have none
DeleteCan’t see what the problem is with streetlites myself?
DeleteAs said by anon 15:12 , no one has complained about the 5 or so 2006 plate omnidekkas bluestar has received, which are by no doubt some of the worst polluters on the road.
DeleteAnon @ 2355: that’s because this is the Bluestar fan club blog and not a soton bus update blog :-)
DeleteAnonymous 08:20 that's a bit out order to say that, people on here say it how they see it it may seem biased but are you seriously telling me people should praise First for cock up after cock up, Bluestar are not perfect but they are managed better and have made no where the amount of cock ups First have made
DeleteNo one slags Bournemouth Transport off though that's for sure.
DeleteCan you list the cock ups then ..publicly acknowledged cock ups That is not people’s opinion ?
DeleteAnonymous 14:24 there never anything publicly acknowledged with bus services but answer me this if First are so perfect why are Bluestar slowly becoming the main operator in Southampton and Reece they have done
DeleteIt’s easy to make yourself the largest operator in any town of you wish to run buses without making money. I think they call it “buying revenue”. No one can say for certain whether Bluestar are making any money. No one can say first are losing money. Or vice versa on both accounts. Just that each business has a different strategy. No different from the high street. The size of the business, when referencing two plc operators, is really immaterial.
DeleteAnonymous 15:23 doing the maths will tell you First have 43 buses an hour across 9 routes and Bluestar have 46 buses an hour across 15 routes
DeleteIf you see the leaflet available online, you would see that they no longer refer service 3 as "the three" but a 3 integrated with First's current design.
DeleteApart from the fact that they all appear illegal to me! Every time the engine cuts out, they plunge the bus into darkness, which means the passengers are unable to see a thing. Surely that has to be against the law?
ReplyDeleteWon`t bother most passengers as all they do is glare at a smartphone screen on a bus journey scrolling through pictures of pussy`s on Insta.
DeleteAnd Pictures of Football Grounds :)
DeleteIt is completely illegal, as the law states that the emergency exit must have a light over it at all times after darkness, when passengers are aboard, irrespective of whether the vehicle is moving.
DeleteMUST be prosecuted then.
DeleteMost of the Passengers would not whatsoever know what the laws are regarding lights let alone know what Defect Cards are.
DeleteBest prosecute go ahead, stagecoach, First, Arriva and national express then!!!!
DeleteAs Yellow Buses is no longer run by a Major Company I wonder if staff passes will still be accepted.
ReplyDeleteWhat in the buggery are you jabbering on about now????
DeleteLooooool this Reece is living in a world where everyone gets a free pass and then the companies go bust because they have no revenue. Reece count until 10 before posting silly comments.
DeleteClaudio I'm referring to Staff Driver passes mate fml
DeleteMate not being funny but I don't suffer with anxiety so there is no need to count to 10
DeleteI think you are misunderstanding what Reece is asking! He clearly states that it is staff passes. Simple answer is that it makes no difference who owns the company, there is a reciprocal arrangement in place to accept each others staff without charge. Please keep it polite people!
ReplyDeleteClaudio thinks they are free bus passes when they are not the Disabled Persons and OAP passes are funded by the Goverment and Local Councils, so the Bus Compaines still get paid Ian.
DeleteNot all companies have a reciprocal arrangements.An example being Xelabus,and I would imagine Wheeler's.However if things had changed at Yellow Buses I'm sure the management would have informed those affected
ReplyDeleteWith all the problems with no trains running due to the derail issues - National Express will be making a lot of money now with the 032 Service from Southampton to London Waterloo via Winchester.
ReplyDeleteRail services are back up and running now Reece :) Only issue is that down services via Southampton that were meant to stop at Eastleigh, can't for the time being.
DeleteYellow Buses in the local paper today blaming the antisocial behaviour at Poole Bus Station for their decision to leave.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, tellingly, further into the article: "the bus station was not working for us in a number of ways" which I think may be code for "we didn't want to pay any more"
Whoever it was on here who predicted Yellows might blame anti-social behaviour as the reason for the move (it may well have been you Alice) take a bow. In fact take a job as Yellows PR - I suspect they saw that post on here and thought that's a good idea!
DeleteI think that was me. To be fair, the bus station has been a major talking point in the local rag with almost-weekly stories about bad behaviour there.
DeleteThough I believe the money they paid was to get stand C(?) next to the exit to the Dolphin Centre. Presumably they could have saved the money by moving to a stand further away if they really wanted, so there will be more than just this. It also sounds like there's an operational advantage when they introduce open top buses to Poole Quay over the summer.
Excellent move by Yellow Buses - I am appalled by the hostile atmosphere at Poole Bus Station and will use Yellow Bus 1 at every opportunity
DeleteWhat a let Down this week has been For me I have been let down on 4 free bets meaning I have been denied the chance of collecting £120 From Corals.
ReplyDelete??????????
DeleteFirst of all THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO POST THIS. Secondly don't gamble, start laying your bets (smarkets.com or search "matched betting"), then you'll profit the same from either result and lose only a few pence on qualifiers. I must say it seems strange you seem more interested in the collection than the money! Also *Coral.
DeleteMainline421 What about those people who have had their lives changed thanks to Leicester City winning the Premier League mate.
DeleteReece, this is a BUS blog, not a gambling blog. I keep saying that you need to count to 10 before posting stuff, and it is nothing to do with anxiety, but to make sure you think before you post.
DeleteThis sites becoming like "The one who flied over the Cuccoo's nest"
ReplyDeleteI feel Southampton would benefit from having just one main company operating in the city, yes fares would go up but as it is many areas are over bussed while others suffer, I believe just one main company would rethink their operations I've seen in many other parts of the country where there is only one operator and it works so well. I would say look at what First use to have but I know times have changed
ReplyDeleteGosport for example
DeleteAnd fareham to in most cases but Southampton residents will soon regret it if they were charge Fareham And Gosport style bus fares.
DeleteMore to worry if Soton residents were charged Isle of Wight fares ...£10 for a day - that currently buys you a week with change in soton
ReplyDeleteThe usual nonsense about Isle of Wight fares - the marketplace and fare structures are completely different - most Sundays my friend travels from Binstead to Freshwater to visit her mother with travel working out at £3.70 per return trip - the same pattern of bus travel would cost £7.65 with Bluestar, more than double. Where fares can be compared the Isle of Wight works out at about 3% more expensive some of which my be explained by the higher fuel costs on the Island.
DeleteYou can load a bundle of 5 Southern Vectis day tickets on a keycard for £28 which works out as just over £5 for a days travel around the island.
DeleteBut the fact still remains a day ticket on the Isle of Wight is £10 but in Southampton it is £3.40. Whichever way to put it these are the facts? That’s a 194% more expensive.
ReplyDeleteThis is a totally irrelevant comparison - you're comparing the cost of a City ticket to that of a County ticket.
DeleteA fairer comparison would be to compare the Southern Vectis tickets with the Bluestar network tickets:
Bluestar day: £8
SV day: £10 - 25% more expensive
Bluestar 2 day: £16 (2 x day)
SV 2 day: £15 - 7% cheaper
Bluestar week: £26
SV week: £25 - 4% cheaper
All this naysaying about the Isle of Wight having more expensive fares is a total nonsense!
But these are the facts and also no returns on the IOW except service 1 i think. So if you are a casual traveller you pay through the nose compared to soton. Accepted that more frequent travellers do get discounts.
DeleteThe fares structure doesn't seem to put people off travelling - the Isle of Wight has one of the UK's highest levels of bus use (for a rural region).
DeleteThe 5, 15 & 30 day bundles offer occasional passengers (usually those who live on the island or visit fairly frequently to it) to travel cheaply:
5 day bundle is just £5.60 a day
15 day bundle is just £4.40 a day
30 day bundle is just £3.70 a day
It's worth noting that you don't need to travel consecutive days with these bundles. They're valid two years from purchase.
Southern Vectis single tickets are either £2.50, £3.50 or £4.50 so even the 5 day bundle offers excellent value against the single ticket costs.
If you're travelling from the mainland to the island, you'll have paid a very expensive ferry fare so the lack of return tickets probably won't phase you that much.
There are also ticketing bundles with Hovertravel that offer cheaper travel to and around the island - just £21.50 for a day return on the Hovercraft & a day's travel on the island. A saving of £13.10!
Overall, I think the island has plenty of ticketing options for regular & irregular bus users!
I don’t want to buy bundles of tickets - I can’t afford it. So when you travel on a bus on the IOW and can only afford to pay when I use it is hugely expensive compared to soton.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't like the fare structure on the IOW then stay in Southampton.Also lots of other Towns/Cities in the UK are expensive compared to Southampton
DeleteExactly? Why you bother to go to IOW when you can't afford buy a bus ticket in there?
DeleteThe industry is deregulated (except in a few towns).
Most pay as you go bus journeys involve using one route and are covered by standard single and return fares. Other journeys fall into two types - type 1, people going from A to B (and back) changing buses at C and type 2, people who want to travel around all day to various places. In Southampton type 1 people predominate so the solution adopted is to issue a day ticket and the few type 2 people get an absurdly good deal. On the Isle of Wight, with many tourist attractions spread the length and breadth of the Island, there are many more type 2 people so the solution is to charge a maximum single fare (currently £4.50 I believe) between any two points on the Island including changing buses when required and charging a higher price for a day ticket so type 2 people pay a more commensurate amount for their bus usage - and incidentally it is not a day ticket but a 24-hour ticket from time of issue
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, back in Southampton, I was stood close to a couple of drivers chatting today. One was telling the other that April was going to bring big changes which he had confirmed by his boss. An additional depot, full extension of 19 all the way to Adanac Park and a new cross city route with a half hourly frequency! Anyone fancy a guess at what that will be? My money is on Hamble, linked to an existing route.
ReplyDeleteLet's see what First Bus can do in relation to this
DeleteThe 19 going to Adanac Park? Dont think that will happen, unless the 17 gets cut back to do Weston to City and the 19 then does the west side of the 17.
DeleteAlso if the new route is going to be Hamble then I can see First increasing the frequency of the 6 to every 15 or 20 minutes with special fares and maybe a 30/60 minute extension on the 11 down to Hamble.
Not much as usual Reece! Yes, Adanac Park forms a big part of their plans for the future I understand. The 19 is going there in addition to the 17 for certain.
DeleteI have no longer an idea on how the P+R in Adanac is going but having a second bus route in there is mad? What is first waiting for to restart serving the area. Oh wait, they are going, aren’t they? I admit I have failed miserably in forecasting the end of first in Southampton by the end of 2019. It is 2020 and they are still around.
DeleteAbout the extension of the 19, it is still early days. I think they should not extend it yet.
I would not be so surprised if the 7 is broken again into 2 routes:
1 to form the ex first 12 - Townhill Park to Lordshill.
The 2nd would be a Totton to Sholing, fast via M27 and Adanac Park, Lordshill, Lordshill Way, Hospital, Shirley (but I don’t discard a routing via Hill Lane) and then normal route on the 7 between Central Station and Sholing.
Yes I know I will be called a person who knows nothing about buses, but have you ever considered this?
Finally I just want to say that there will be no extension to Hamble. It makes no sense to me.
More details: the 16 as a cross city would give the opportunity to people living in Bitterne to a direct service to the Hospital, cut back in 2015.
DeleteThe 7 going to Totton would restore a connection to the hospital, and would not remove a connection created by Bluestar 2 years ago in Sholing
Oh dear.Has the ozone layer finally collapsed
DeleteBluestar just need to take things one step at a time
DeleteYes it has collapsed for you, Anonymous.
DeleteClaudio the park and ride is doing really well
DeleteWould certainly welcome a Hill Lane service again. Compared to 15/20 years or so that general area (the Hill Lane-Winchester Road-Shirley Road area) has much poorer buses than historically; I'm sure as recently as the early 2000s both Hill Lane AND the St James Road area EACH got a 20 or 30 min frequency. A half hourly Hill Lane service would provide a useful alternative from the sports centre/lower Bassett area particularly if the Avenue has problems. Is there really no demand for a route such as town-Hill Lane-Winchester Road-General Hospital-Lordshill for instance?
DeleteAnd how about linking some 17s with U6s, so that alternate 17s only go as far as the hospital and then 'become' U6s? Not sure if that would be possible given Bluestar and Unilink have the same parent company.
Fantasy land I'm sure, but that's what I'd like to see (along with more 'short' 1s in the morning peak... see other post)
The U6 takes ages as it goes round the University and Swaythling. With the loadings it takes, there must be demand for a more direct route from Upper Shirley to the City Centre via Hill Lane. Or is it true that the bulk of the passengers only go between the General Hospital and the University
Delete..and where’s the new depot ? .. going to have to get Bob the Builder in to get that knocked up so quickly without planning permission !! Think Jackanory is back !
ReplyDeleteWhat would Sir David Attenborough say to this?
DeleteIt's just rented land to the west of town, being used to house about twenty buses apparently. Good morning Mr Tosh!
DeleteI would be more interested in what Doctor Patrick Moore had to say about it. At least he puts some science behind all this climate change myth!
DeleteAnd Greta Thurnberg the new David Attenborough as well
DeleteThe new depot on rented land has already been operating a couple of months. Theres approx. 20-30 buses now kept at Brockenurst College a mix of more & bluestar vehicles
DeleteI just could not imagine a depot in Brockenhurst being suitable for Southampton Run Bus Services
DeleteIt's there for college services not Southampton services.Not all their operation revolve round Southampton their operation area is far and wide
Deletethink about 7 or 8 in the college...,rest of the lymington allocation use the station depot... old bus station parking now out of use
DeleteYou are sort of right and sort of wrong! The new rented land will be used to hold the Brockenhurst vehicles, instead of the college, as well as a lot of Bluestar service vehicles to facilitate the next expansion.
DeleteWhen can we expect the next expansion?
DeleteThe next expansion ..mr jackanory is back
DeleteWell someone who posts on this site has a great knowledge of expansion plans for Go Ahead as they are contiually on about it.I also can't understand why First are still in Southampton as last year we were reminded many times they would be gone by the end of 2019
DeleteGood evening Mr Tosh. Over the past seven years or so, there has been a steady and well managed expansion of Bluestar, which has coincided with Firsts contraction. The process is ongoing and the additional services,you will see further evidence of in the N and P applications soon enough. If you have no knowledge, and cannot say anything original, may I suggest that you refrain from constantly knocking others who do? I always try to give others an insight of what I have heard from good sources, although bits of it sometimes don't fully materialize, the vast majority do. Are you by any chance a First employee, who cannot bear the thought of your employer being outdone again?
DeletePeople would post anything just to slag off First Bus, they know full well that First are not leaving Southampton and I certainly do not want a 1 operator situation like what happens in Gosport and Fareham where the bus fares are sky high.
DeleteI like the way someone imagines that just because you challenge Go Ahead on this site you have to be a First employee.The majority of postings are from people who have never been employed by First or Go Ahead or ever likely to be.Anyhow I'm sure we shall all look forward to seeing on N and P over the next few months the expansion yet again of Go Ahead.We might even a get a surprise that First do the same.Looking at N and P one thing is for sure nothing much about to happen in March this year
Deletewould this new g/a depot replace the lymington and totton depots
DeleteNo, it's additional to both depots.
DeleteSo the fact rather than fiction is that Totton depot will have an outstation at Fawley which will operate mainly routes 8 & 9. Route 4 will return from Eastleigh to operate from Totton.
DeleteWhen is Totton depot getting the Route 4 back and will the Bluestar 5 get timetable changes?
DeleteAt exactly the same time as Fawley opens, and the 19 gets extended. There will also be one more surprise to be had when N and P is published. Probably only the midnight 5 will no longer happen in addition to the above.
DeleteHilarious !
DeleteGood afternoon Mr Tosh. Your fantastic literary style and reasoning gives you away every time!
DeleteMr N&P - good to see you a generating more fiction - maybe you could publish a paperback ?
DeleteAt least I have something to say Mr Tosh. Only time will see you again having to eat a large slice of humble pie. The information that I have given is already accepted and well known by those within the inner circle of the industry. It is all happening, but feel free to carry on knocking, which seems to be your speciality.
DeleteI presume you are some sort of spy looking in on the inner circle and publishing things the inner circle would not wish for the moment the general public to know
DeleteNo not a spy, but someone who knows people in the inner circle, who's employers may not wish that information to be out to the public or its competitors yet. Having said that, the next moves are fairly obvious ones, even to those who are on the edge of the industry, just looking at the new fleet arrivals! I think even First will have guessed the next likely moves, although...?
DeleteWell if not a spy,than a busybody poking their nose into things they should not be
DeleteAs they are so obvious and clearly not a secret, then do tell us all ???
DeleteI already have told you the things that I am certain about. The only debatable one is the new cross city service, that they are keeping under wraps from everyone.
DeleteWell you seem to know about this new cross city service so they can't be keeping it from everyone
DeleteI know it is happening, but am unable to find out which two routes will be joining up, yet! Half hour frequency suggests it will be the 4 route, joining to something either new or existing.
DeleteIf the 4 is being “connected” then welcome to more unreliability
DeleteWonder when one of our bus operators will provide a direct bus link from Bassett Green estate to Portswood and the Above Bar area of Southampton.
ReplyDeleteWhen ever there is a demand for it
DeleteI wondered this as well the other day, when I had to take a U2B to get to my daughters school at Cantell for a parents evening. Had to catch it from the Cenotaph, because it starts from outside the student halls behind the Mayflower.
DeleteReece there obviously was as Southampton Citybus used to run the 11 every 10 mins from Bassett Green estate until First took the axe to it-even though it was always well used.
DeleteWhy would first take the axe to it if it was well used ?
DeleteThey axed the 2 between city and Thornhill as well in a bizarre move.
DeleteYeah I was gutted when that got withdrawn mate I really liked using it
DeleteReece, if only there was another bus service that did the exact same route and frequency as First 2 did between Thornhill and City Centre.
DeleteOh, wait!!!
It's not as good with Bluestar
DeleteWhat a load of nonsense.The 18 runs as well as the First 2 use too.Plus with the 16 between Bitterne and City there are more than enough buses
DeleteAnonymous 13:28 and 14:10 Reece is blinkered to all the facts he will say anything bad about Bluestar even though First are far from perfect, no one can argue that Bluestar have the better buses although some need to go. Bluestar are not perfect and expanding as much as they have has even shocked me
DeleteBetter buses ... that is subjective. Usually passengers just want a clean reliable bus to get them from A to B
DeleteExactly.Most people are not remotely intersted who the operator is or what colour or type of vehicle is on it.They just want it to turn up on time and get them to where they are going.They don't interest themselves in what colour the seats are as long as they are reasonably comfortable to sit on and the vehicle of clean appearence inside.I have yet in recent times ever not had a vehicle that I would not like to travel on again.Even the older vehicles wear well as time goes by.
DeleteCan you please not post shit like that on here please we don't care?
ReplyDeletePerhaps take a leaf out of your own book Reece? Before having a pop at others.
ReplyDeleteIts obviously a scam though that's the thing
ReplyDeletehttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-boost-for-bus-services-as-pm-outlines-new-vision-for-local-transport
ReplyDeleteThis is great news. Combined with HS2, we can look forward to seeing a world class transport network
DeleteI thought this blog was about buses.
DeleteAt least someone wishes to highlight transport issues rather than the usual self opinionated drivel that normal frequents this site recently
DeleteIt about time this site returned to transport issue and if that means a wider look so be it
About time HS2 got the go ahead a nice quick train service from London to Birmingham will sure come about nicely :)
DeleteFrankly I think that the announcement is smoke and mirrors.
DeleteYou only have to look at the current issues at SWR, orchestrated by the Government to make sure they are as far distant as they can be.
The minute SWR moved from a SWT franchise to a SWR management contract, the writing was on the wall that the DfT were going to turn it into 'nationalisation by the back door' which they have.
The DfT are calling the shots right now, probably even directly instruction SWR over DOO and stalling of drivers pay talks... but SWR will be the enemy, not the Goverment department behind it.
Can we get back to common sense on this site instead of all the weird postings by certain indeviduals.Let's get back to it being a bus site once again with sensible comments from posters
ReplyDeleteThere are some new tourist service registrations for April from Yellow Buses appeared on vosa including a new Christchurch to Ringwood service... any comments?
ReplyDeleteLooking like that service, to be branded as "Buster's Forest Explorer" might be intended to challenge GSC's New Forest Tour buses (or at least one route thereof). Starting it from Christchurch might prove to be a shrewd move, giving potential passengers from across the conurbation much easier access to the forest by bus - or at least the western part.
DeleteI can also see a registration for the 11, which looks to be a revival of the old open-top coastal route between Christchurch and Bournemouth. Whether it will take the same route remains to be seen, but they're really going for the summer services this year!
Anyone know what's happening with Yellows open-top buses?
DeleteLast two Friday mornings I've been driving from Southampton to Bournemouth and seen Yellows open-top buses travelling away from Bournemouth and towards/on the M27 (Seen three in total). Have they been sold and if so are they being replaced? The registrations for April (and talk of open-tops on the 1 to Poole Quay) certainly suggest an increase in open-tops required, not a decrease.
They've got 5 new ones
DeleteI believe the ex-London open toppers (433-436) are leaving and being replaced by 5 second-hand open-top Gemini's.
DeleteThese 5 will join Convertable Vykings 431 and 432 (which by the sounds of things, 431 might get it's roof removed this summer as it has remained closed top for the past couple summer seasons).
I believe the open toppers will be used on the 11, 12 and F1 but not on the 1 --- we shall no doubt find out what is actually going to happen in due course...
Ah that all makes sense. Thanks both.
DeleteThe 11 is to be hourly and the F1 is to have 4 journeys a day
Deletedoes anybody know the route of f1 service?
DeleteChristchurch Somerford Highcliffe Cat and Fiddle Bransgore Thorney Hill Burley Burley Street A31 Poulner Hill Poulner Ringwood Crow Burley Street and reverse of outward to Christchurch.
Deletethank you for this info..anon 15.23
DeleteAnyone know the route of the 11?
DeleteRe. the 11, it's good to see an operator actually recognising that a higher, not lower, frequency in the peak is what's needed! All too often the approach is to cut frequency at the times of day when people most need it, due to increased journey times and the economic model of the bus industry not making it viable to employ additional vehicles for peak-only use. Definitely it's much more of a problem trying to get into town on the 1 at peak time compared to off-peak. Would like to see Bluestar introducing some short journeys from say Asda into town to arrive between 0800-0900, but I suspect that they do not have enough spare vehicles.
ReplyDeleteExtra peak journeys are desirable but it just isn't economic for any operator to have massively expensive vehicles doing just one or two trips a day if they aren't absolutely needed.
DeleteIt's not so much that frequencies are cut in the peak, more a case that peak frequencies are tightly tailored to demand and capacity needs and the offpeak frequencies are then boosted to a higher level than they would naturally be because its a cheap way to improve the service and the cost of using the vehicles all day rather than parking them up for the middle of the day is quite low.
Peak time journeys are affected by congestion: meaning they take longer to get from one end of the route to the other.
DeleteTake the Bluestar 1 for example - some peak time journeys take 50% longer! That would require a 50% increase in vehicles to cover the service at the same level - which is uneconomical.
By reducing the frequency they can use the same number of buses (therefore providing the same number of seats) without increasing the costs (though revenue will drop slightly).
Don't forget that most bus operators are already peak-heavy with school services (plus work contracts, such as Aviva) so they're already limited in terms of buses & drivers
Meanwhile most of the DD First Scanias at Weymouth appear withdrawn due corrosion with way too many SD being used on scenic Jurassic Coaster services which isn't good for the upcoming tourist season unless First quickly find some DD replacements for Weymouth??!!
ReplyDeleteA driver there mentioned a further possible strike looming as well
DeleteDid everyone have a good Valentines day with their loved ones?
ReplyDeleteNope, I was working.
DeleteDid you manage to snuggle up to a few drivers over the festive few hours?
Nah Mate lol what about you?
DeleteMust be half-term - a Xelabus vandalised - perhaps that's why they wanted to have discussions about service X11 with Southampton City Council - hadn't allocated sufficient funds for wanton damage
ReplyDeleteLooks like more discussions are on the way now by the looks of it.
DeleteAs the x11 carries mainly during the day OAP's,I can't see them vandalising their vehicles
ReplyDeleteIt was probally the same kids who done the CityRed 2s
DeleteIt’s rarely the people using the bus that are vandalising it.
DeleteExactly right
DeleteSpeaking of vandalising kids, I saw some earlier today while on my way back from uni. They appeared to have pushed open one of the doors on a Bluestar double decker parked in Castle Way.
ReplyDeleteFawley outstation is going to be run by both Bluestar and Morebus running on 6,8,9, Brockenhurst College and local school buses. The college overnight parking cost is said to be astronomical.
ReplyDeleteWhen does the outstation open and are any drivers from totton transferring to Fawley?
DeleteI understand that they are looking at April/May. Nothing to do with the cost of parking at the college, more to do with security. Yes, many of the Totton and Lymington drivers live in Hythe and Holbury, so they will transfer.
DeleteIt will be intresting to see what will happen with the space at Totton Depot once the 8/9 starts being operated by Fawley.
Delete