Minilink 14 has now been withdrawn, leaving Chartwell Green with First City Red 8. The 13A remains weekends only until 30th October, after which it is still scheduled to become a daily service. The C in Eastleigh will be withdrawn on Friday 25th November.
First City Red have confirmed changes to and new timetables on much of their network from Sunday 30th October. The main changes are:
- 2A: New route running weekday mornings only from Weston through to the General Hospital.
- 3: Weekday daytime frequency increased from every 12 to every 10 minutes. Sunday daytime frequency cut from every 15 to every 20 minutes.
- 7: Weekday daytime frequency reduced from every 12 to every 15 minutes.
- 8: Extended to the General Hospital using the same route as the 3.
- 9: Withdrawn. Sholing still has a more direct service to the City Centre on Bluestar 7. Merry Oak gets a rerouted 13.
- 13: Weekday frequency cut to hourly. Diverted to serve Merry Oak instead of Peartree, leaving Peartree with no public transport.
Their new route map gives confirmation of the 8 mirroring the 3's route between the City Centre and General Hospital, and the changes to the 13 east of the Itchen:
The Eastleigh Mini Link C service finishes 28 October though at the moment.....
ReplyDeleteAlso worth noting the timetable for the C changed and last bus from Eastleigh now 1515 with the last bus from Chandler's Ford at 1545.
ReplyDeleteThe 1 and 13 will also interwork when the new changes take effect this being the start of the hour departures from Calmore
ReplyDeleteIt won't interwork with anything whilst the works at Redbridge remain! Silly time to attempt it by inept managers.
DeleteThankfully the 1 goes the quickest way into the City Centre
DeleteWow, how will you use that extra minute in your life Reece? Pity they didn't think about all the fare paying passengers that they leave behind, just to be quicker by one minute. Bluestar are laughing their heads off at more stupidity by First.
DeleteIt's actually a lot quicker since it no longer goes along Waterloo Road
DeletePlease don't ever try to run a bus company Reece! Any fool can make a service run faster, if they miss out all the stops that passengers need. Just look at the loadings between the 1 and the 12, and you will clearly see who has got it right and who has made a complete pig's ear of it!
DeleteCome on Reece, we KNOW you are the mystery manager / owner that Simon had lined up to buy his company.
DeleteI certainly was not the planned buyer
DeleteA great shame for all those living along Peartree Avenue-who now find themselves cut off,or face a long walk to the nearest bus route.
ReplyDeleteSome will still be waiting for a bus that won't turn up when the changes take effect, but i do tell others on the bus about the changes taking effect.
DeleteLast night when I was on he 13 at 8pm there was 15 others on the bus so I Dont understand why the service will soon only be running till 6pm
Due to First being utterly useless and clueless.
DeleteIt’s a shame MiniLink didn’t consult with First on their proposals for route 13, otherwise that would have made both operators think twice before realising that their proposed actions would leave Peartree Avenue without a bus service. That is the problem when you have separate deregulated bus companies operating for the benefit of themselves rather than that of the greater travelling public.
DeleteTL:DR: Had MiniLink consulted with First that they would be increasing their 13A to an all-week operation, there would have been absolutely no need for First to divert the 13 via Merry Oak.
DeleteUnlike GSC,i think you`ll find that First`s decisions aren`t taken locally-correct me if i`m wrong.
Delete13/13A
DeleteWe at Southampton Mini Link had been in talks with the council for quite a few months about the possibility of operating the 13A 7 days a week as it was clear that a frequency reduction on another operators service (13) was on the cards back in April. This would be achieved by removing the 14 service as this would be coved by around 95% of the 13A route. We have worked hard to achieve a timetable that complements the service provided by another operator leaving City Centre approx 30mins apart. Had we kept the existing 14 timetable we would have left at very similar times to the 13.
The decision to route the 13 via Merry Oak is a commercial one by First. Peartree Avenue probably carries fewer passengers with for a large part of it parkland on at least one side leaving fewer opportunities for revenue.
Simon Gard
Southampton Mini Link
It really is a sad reflection on First, when Simon Gard and the Council can out think them!
DeleteI would imagine there are more passengers on one road rather than the other. Simple really? Not sure it’s about outthinking. Must businesses makes decision based on sales numbers.
DeleteSimon Gard was also a first driver in 2021 when the pandemic was around
DeleteFrom Southampton Minilink 12th October, the possible manager/buyer discussions have finished with no result. All buses will finish by 17:00 on 28 October.
ReplyDeleteSo now it isn't again! Chaos as normal. Thanks Simon.
DeleteSimon has to have a leg operation which will prevent him from driving for 6 months another reason he has had to give up Southampton Minilink.
DeleteHe had tried his very best to get a new buyer but they were suddenly not intrested.
Please be kind to Simon
The obvious reason that any prospective buyer would have backed out, is that it was an unsustainable business with no future.
DeleteThe more obvious reason is that (according to their Facebook page) the current incumbent can not even maintain a 1 bus service this weekend on the 13a. So what hope is there that the service is viable?
DeleteInteresting that this is not published to Facebook!
DeleteToo ill to run his own service, but fit enough to drive on rail replacement elsewhere, yet we are asked to be kind. Any remaining credibility gone forever.
DeleteWhat...no way---!!!!!
DeleteI hope Hants Bus Blog has lawyered up!
DeleteThank you for your comments I have already made a press release on the Hants Bus Blog.
DeleteThe rail replacement I drove yesterday was in a minibus not a full size coach or bus. The duty had substantial breaks at each end, the local service journeys we operate have some long periods of constant driving which I am no longer able to do. I had agreed to do this prior to one of our employees leaving at short notice on Friday and we were not able to secure the services of an external labour provider at this short notice therefore the local services had to be cancelled.
When we cancel a service should a customer make contact with us we do offer to cover the cost of replacement road transport such as a licenced taxi, private hire, uber etc. for the journey to be completed.
What is unacceptable is this constant campaign of harassment to myself and my family.
Until illness returned we had a healthy profitable business in Southampton Mini Link & one that I would have loved to continue with and develop. However with the news that I will need to take a six month break from driving due to health issues it is one that I unfortunately am not able to continue. Had the labour market been different then we really would have considered staying open but with many 1000s of PSV driver vacancies across the South its near enough impossible to find good drivers.
Thank you
Mr S A Gard
The only 'harassment' I have seen is about the fact you stopped caring about Southampton Mini Link.
DeleteIf you can not handle being criticised about how you run your company, maybe you should not be running a company.
City Red 9 now to operate for a further 3 months thanks to SCC funding and will serve Peartree Avenue
ReplyDeleteIt's a slightly improved service too
DeleteStill no Sunday service
Will run hourly, approximately 7am to 7pm
Let's hope it gets used well enough for a Sunday service to happen
DeleteReece-most in the affected area of Sholing seem to have migrated to using Bluestar 7 now-so don`t think so.
DeleteI wonder if after 3 months of the saved 9 if SCC put out to competative tender who will go for it. Instead of what I presume is the de-minimus contract given to First
ReplyDeleteBluestar are an absolute joke lately-Tonight two 18`s and a 16 failed to turn up at Bitterne to head into town.
ReplyDeleteLast Saturday the 3 at nighttime surprisingly was bad as well with cancelled buses, last bus from Thornhill surprisingly cancelled where as they made sure every city red 2 operated
DeleteRather they cut the frequency back if they are so short of drivers and run a reliable service.
DeleteThat is why cutbacks to the X4 and X5 has happened
DeleteFare changes announced for Bluestar from next Monday with the key being withdrawn from next year.
ReplyDeleteKey also being withdrawn from Southern Vectis
DeleteSouthern Vectis only allowing those who had followed the page for 24 hours to comment on the post about the fare increases,but you could comment on other posts-very naughty!
DeleteWould love to know where you heard about fare increases, as nothing in public domain that I can see? An insider?
DeleteBluestar facebook followers would have heard about the fare increases-just like i did.
DeleteIt`s also in the news section of the bus company`s site.
DeleteSomeone commented on another of Southern Vectis` FB posts and they then said that only those who had followed the page for the last 24 hours could comment on the post.Southern Vectis trying to silence criticism by any chance?
DeleteI`m referring to comments on Southern Vectis` price rises from next Monday by the way.
DeleteSouthern Vectis need competition-but you only need to look up the Facing South-Bus wars programme on You Tube to see about Southern Vectis` apparent tactics to quash competitors on the island.
DeleteSouthern Vectis is 100 times better without competition. Even with fare rises, people will still be willing to pay as the service is so good compared to most parts of the UK.
DeleteDetails of Southern Vectis fare changes are on the news section of their website for ALL to see .
DeleteIm sure southern vectics will be hoping for another Hampshire match at Newclose in 2023.
DeleteWhen I went a double decker on both the 2 and 3 were packed to capacity
Route and timetable change to the 28/28a.
ReplyDeleteTo extend service to North Whiteley and Batley
Revised timetable
Revised route in the Park Gate Area
It is the first extension of the 28's. First to Botley, then Hedge End at a later stage.
DeleteHopefully the timetable improves as well
DeleteHope so. This must be a rare instance of a tendered route being significantly extended to a new destination, as opposed to a simple reroute. Interestingly it will also mimic the long-lost route 26, albeit running via Whiteley rather than Burridge.
DeleteNow Simon Gard has closed his latest company, will he cancel his operators licence?
ReplyDeleteI see the bus that other platforms reported him driving on rail replacement recently, eas the bus he drove on the last day of the C.
Was it a SCREW YOU to the people who highlighted his lack of regard for his customers?
This was due to Simons bus that got sold being picked up earlier then planned which is why a replacement bus was needed to run the 1515 trip
DeletePresumably he borrowed it from his mate in Swanage for more rail replacement work this weekend now the service work is abandoned.
DeleteAn interesting quirk as a result of MiniLink’s collapse and First’s cutbacks is that the Chapel area of Soton will go down from having five separate bus routes (7, 9, 13, 13A, 14) to just one (7) within the space of a month.
ReplyDeleteAlso less buses on Vincents Walk
DeleteFurther affield and it`s sad to see the fire that destroyed Slough bus station and buses there overnight.
ReplyDeleteTwo Saturday evenings in a row Bluestar have cancelled two 18`s and a 16 from Bitterne to town and the same journeys both times-then they have the nerve to increase the fares from Monday.
ReplyDeleteSuggest you contact your MP and get them to contact these jokers.
DeleteAlso for the whole day 1 bus was missed out altogether on the 16 creating a 20 - 20 minute frequency leaving a 40 minute gap and all sorts of buses appearing on the 16 tonight.
DeleteYou have to wonder why they don't just run to timetables that they have the staff to fulfill? The current policy is just courting trouble from the regulator, and I regularly witness drivers getting ear ache from passengers, which will encourage more drivers to quit.Their local management seem to not understand this.
DeleteNot sure why they increased the 18 to every 20 mins until 9pm if they can`t fulfill all the extra journeys-just stick to 30 mins and more reliability-same with the 11 and 12 on weekdays.
DeleteThis has been going on for quite some time now with constant cancelled buses on the 16 and 18 routes.
DeleteWhen the general public ask Bluestar why buses don't turn up they are constantly ignored also we are never informed what bus journies will be cancelled.
It's time for the Traffic Commisioners to investigate all the cancelled buses etc
Sometimes an 18 not running for 3 hours.
Could be worse. One service just did not bother operating the last few weekends.
Delete