Bus companies have been getting busier in recent weeks. As the first levels of East Holiday traffic have started to level off, there appears to be a consistent level of service and an obvious increase in passengers. Over the last few weeks, I have had to travel into town on a Sunday morning and the buses have largely been at more than half of the current reduced capacity. First Southampton though, seeing the next changes just two weeks away, will increase a number of their services from Sunday 16th May.
City Red have previously been under a little criticism on social media. Parents claiming their children have not got any scheduled bus to get them to school (rather than one that is full) and various other complaints about full buses and lack of social distancing. I think this is the same complaints that every bus company has been getting recently. One particular gripe of passengers on Twitter has been the lack of much City Red 9…. thankfully there is news!
Changes from 16th May
- Service 2 (City Centre – Millbrook) Now… I might be missing something, but the First Southampton webpage says an increased weekday evening frequency, but I can only see one extra trip leaving Southampton at 2315, albeit still at a 25 minute frequency,
Saturday daytime services do increase from every 15 to every 10 minutes though,
Sunday services also see earlier morning and later evening departures. - Service 3 (Lords Hill – City – Thornhill) rejigs it’s weekend timetable. Early morning buses have a revised timetable including the removal of the 0450 from Lords Hill Centre. Evening times also change with the loss of the post 11pm departures from each end of the route.
There is a similar revision on Sundays. - Service 6 (City Centre – Hamble) sees later journeys reintroduced every day.
Last services will leave the City at 2235 (1945 on Sundays).
Saturday Services will also return to every 30 minutes. - Service 7 (City Centre – Townhill) sees more journeys during the weekday daytime, but longer journeys as traffic returns to the city.
Sunday Services are also increased to every 15 minutes. - Service 8 (City Centre – Hedge End) does not quite see the return to a normal service I was expecting. The diversion to run almost direct between Hedge End Superstores and the Railway Station remains, but with some peak only services extending to Locke Road.
Saturday Services are increased to every 30 minutes, without any extension to Locke Road. - Service 9 (City Centre – Woolston – Bitterne – Sholing) will return to a half hourly timetable 6 days a week.
They will also run later until approximately 1900. - Service 11 (Central Station – City – Weston) will return to a bus every 10 minutes Saturday daytime and every 15 minutes on Sundays.
- and yes…. a bus every 25 minutes in the evenings…. now this makes sense, it interworks with the City Red 2 then?
Almost all of the changes make sense. I think that a bus every 25 minutes in the evenings is a bit weird, but with the interworking that I think I see between the City Red 2 and the City Red 11 there might just be a method to the madness that does not allow a round 20 or 30 minute headway.
I look forward to heading to Southampton in the near future, even if the reason is a routine appointment at the General Hospital. We will see if the passenger numbers return alongside indoor pubs, bars and dining!