Along with other operators, Xelabus have confirmed that they are running a full schools service from Monday. With stage 1 of Lockdown imminently upon us, it’s time to look at what services they will be providing to the residents of Eastleigh and Southampton over the coming weeks.
The New Advice
Please remember that the advice is still to stay local. We can not condone going out on public transport simply because people feel like it, in the same way that we can’t condone people travelling across the county to photograph a Stagecoach bus in the new livery. This is what happens on Monday 8th March :
- All schools & colleges re-open. Universities re-open for practical courses only.
- Childcare and children’s supervised activities can resume to support working parents.
- People can leave home for recreation or exercise with one person from outside their household, in addition to as a household or with your support bubble.
- Care home residents will be allowed one regular visitor.
Xelabus changes from 8th March
Unusually, we are not going to give you as many links to Xelabus as we would to other operators. This is because, after a small number of social media interactions, they seem oblivious to the fact that some of their timetables are incorrect.
We have contacted them a number of times, but apparently it is fine, because they also have a news page buried somewhere on the website. It is here.
A full school bus service will operate for the following schools:
- Itchen College – services 191 to 198 will run a full timetable; except 191 will not serve Maunsell and Tollbar Way in Hedge End and 192 will not serve Whiteley. In both cases these will be covered by service 198.
As of 03/03 – this timetable has not been updated yet - St Georges School – services 301 to 305
- Hamble School – service 501
- Wyvern College – services 502 and 506
- Thornden School – service 503 (This remains a PM only service)
- Sparsholt – service 517
It should also be noted that Barton Peverill does not reopen until 15th March, therefore none of their closed contracts will run this coming week.
No other schools services are mentioned in the press release, and so we can only expect if the schools are open that Xelabus and the schools have contacted parents privately.
The following public service alterations are also being made from Monday 8th March:
- X4 remains a Saturday service until Monday 15th March. This is a bus approximately every 2 hours.
- X6 & X7 remains at it’s COVID special timetable.
- X8 remains suspended, despite being advertised in the X6 and X7 timetable.
- X9 & X10 remain a Saturday service. This is advertised as a full weekday service on their timetables pages as at 03/03.
- X11, X12, X15, X17 and the Bitterne Hoppa had already returned to a normal weekday service.
What I can not tell you though, is if the planned extension of the X12 to Tesco ever started. It was advertised to begin on 4th January, but none of the timetables were ever updated.
Xelabus are very much of the position that you must contact them directly for accurate information. This is a bit of a disappointment, and if you question them on social media they can become a little hostile.
Here is hoping that they can catch up at some point, update their website, and stop it crashing out on a regular basis. I remained happy to proofread their work for them, for a while.