I know, I am sorry. It’s been six weeks since I have had a random moan about things to do with buses, trains and trying to make things easier and better. Unfortunately a quite unique combination of events meant that I needed to take some time away and decompress a few things. It probably was not the best time to do it either, with the changes across Hampshire’s buses on April 1st and the fall out from the changes to Hampshire County Council’s funding.
I am hoping though, that normal service should now resume. I am writing this on a train for example, which to an extent is normal service.
Let’s Start with a Moan
So let’s decompress with a starting point of Hampshire County Council’s funding.
As you know, the start of April brought changes to the enhancements to disabled National Concessionary Passes, acceptance of all passes on pre-0930 buses on many routes, and the withdrawal of funding for others.
I have to start by saying that I have seen a difference in the last few weeks. A few pass holders around me who have a companion pass don’t appear to be travelling by bus over the last few weeks, and one other has said she has not been able to go out with her disabled son as much because of the cost of her tickets.
On the subject of the withdrawal of more general bus funding, I regret that neither Hampshire County Council, nor the Department for Transport are prepared to offer a timeline of how it will be implemented. HCC told me that to ask the question I have to make a Freedom of Information request to the DfT, to which the DfT replied that I need to ask Hampshire County Council. You know what, HCC hates me enough that I am not going to bother, it’s almost like someone there has a grudge against me.
[You know – I will probably receive an email from the HCC press office now]
Just so it is very clear – this only affects Hampshire County Council and not either Portsmouth or Southampton City Council.
What I do know though, is that First Solent are looking at how it affects their services. A rumour has suggested it will be all tied up in a nice little bundle with the back-to-school alterations that we would expect around the August Bank Holiday.
… maybe I should use a different email address?
I got an email from Dave in the last few days as well. He has had more luck than I, when talking to Hampshire County Council about bus cuts. A member of the ‘local bus management team’ advised that funding is cut for Stagecoach services 7 & 7a, 46 and 61 from 1st September.
Stagecoach Portsmouth changes now Live
By the time you read this, Stagecoach in Portsmouth’s changes to services in Havant and the City have been running for a few weeks. As of the time of writing, I regret I have not followed the fallout or otherwise on Facebook for the various groups around the Havant area. I know that there were a number of gripes about how the changes will affect everyone.
First Solent strikes Over
You will also know by now that the industrial action at First Solent’s Hoeford depot was withdrawn following a revised pay offer. I don’t think it would be fair or appropriate to offer my opinion beyond I think they deserved more, but that I think they would not have been offered it. Each time I saw the picket lines though, they appeared to be well attended and I hope that the Unite branch members at the depot have come out of this as a stronger negotiating unit.
New Sunday Service in Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester
There are changes to services in Andover with the recent introduction of a new Sunday service on the 75 service to Winchester.
Firstly, there are minor timetable changes to service 4 running between Picket Piece, Andover Town and Drove Estate and service 76 to Whitchurch and Basingstoke. There are also changes to the morning trips on Peter Symmonds service 86 and QMC Basingstoke service 676.
Service 75 between Andover and Winchester also gets a new (and for now free) Sunday service. This will be a one bus service taking around 50 minutes each way and will be free on Sundays and Bank Holidays until Monday 26th May. I know this sounds a bit ‘out there’ but I think it is a shame this does not run through to Marwell Zoo via a modified 69 route. It would probably need some financial support from Marwell or other though.
Basingstoke
Over in Basingstoke there is a new Sunday service for the meandering trip out to Alton and Bordon on the 13. Starting 1st June, the service will run every 2 hours – however I wonder whether this will be run from Basingstoke or maybe Aldershot.
The reason I say that is because the Sunday and Bank Holiday service starts in Bordon at 0758 and the last trips finish in Bordon at 1950. I have found I have not had the skills to develop my own PDF of the timetable yet, so go see it on TravelineSW (!) Note: It’s definitely a crash course in Python!
South Dorset and Weymouth Summer Uplifts
The summer uplifts for First Wessex and more bus / Damory have started in their usual piecemeal fashion. I think that both companies have largely got this gradual ramp up of service weighed off relatively well over the years although when Tony emailed me at the start of March to let me know, I felt that it was earlier this year… I don’t know why.
Firstly in Weymouth the holiday park buses are now underway with Service 12 and 13 running to Haven Littlesea and Waterside respectively. There were also timing and performance changes to service 1 to Portland and 10 to Dorchester and Poundbury. You can find out more details on the First Wessex website.
Outside of Weymouth, morebus are running an hourly Jurassic Breezer 31 on School Holidays and Weekends. The timetables for Sundays are different to Saturdays and School Holidays, so check carefully. I am going to make the assumption this correlates with the South Western Railway services to/from Bournemouth and beyond.
The Sunday service on Harbour Breezer 60 also returns between Poole and Sandbanks.
Bluestar New Buses
10 New buses are pounding the inter-city Bluestar 1 service to Winchester after investments from the Bus Service Improvement Plan. The Enviro 400MMCs are liveried with “theOne” branding.
Interesting to see a Sunday service on the 13. If I remember right this is the first time in my memory (which stretches all the way back to 1984, when it was the 213) that there has been a Sunday service from Alton to Bordon. Not sure about Alton to Basingstoke.
You are correct in your assumption that the Breezer 31 (Wool-Lulworth circular) differs on Sundays to correspond to train times.
First’s summer offer includes a new hourly 55 (Lulworth-Wool-Bovington [Tank Museum & Monkey World]) using a single vehicle, which is going to prove challenging especially if caught at Wool level crossing both ways! The 55 replaces last summer’s X50 (Weymouth-Wool-Swanage) which diverted off to the Bovington attractions each time it passed through Wool, and which had everyone confused including the drivers.
– Tony S.