Bus driver shortages are still a thing. Locally, it appears that we have an average 3 or 4 driver duties a day that are uncovered – not being a bus driver I base this on the number of buses cancelled.
Whether that is because of the increase in pay for HGV drivers, Brexot, CoVID or anything else… not our discussion.
Operators are starting to cut back services again though, and from November 1st Bluestar are first.
NEW: First City Red (Southampton) will be putting in extra running time on the City Red 3 (Thornhill – City – General Hospital – Lords Hill) during the weekday peaks. This is due to traffic levels.
Bluestar
High frequency Bluestar 18 is being reduced on Monday to Saturday daytimes. Millbrook – City – Thornhill will still run at least every 10 minutes though.
Longer distance Bluestar 9 will also drop frequency Monday to Saturday daytime. The route between Southampton – Totton – Hythe and Blackfield will drop to half-hourly. Then hourly to either Fawley or Langley.
Sundays remain half-hourly to either Calshot or Langley.
In other news
I also hear on the grapevine that the extension to the Gosport to Fareham bus way is imminently due to open.
From Sunday 5th December, the section between Hutfield Link and Rowner Road will be available. I understand that the E1 and E2 will divert to use it, but nothing official has appeared yet.
Previous plans to introduce an ‘E3‘ is apparently not on the cards at the moment; which does not surprise me with the current Eclipse service levels. I have not been down that way recently though, so I can only go on complaints from those I know. Many of them have given up their Eclipse Week tickets.