Start of September Roundup

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Hello and welcome back to a late running post of things that have happened, things that are happening and many other things. I know it has been a while. The App formerly known as Twitter has now removed my access to Tweetdeck and I am trying to hold out as long as I can to not crumble to the £7.99 a month. So viewing the three X accounts I hold is becoming much more difficult.

Also I have been going through some stresses and strains. Usual things that you need a keg of homebrew and triple strength vitamins to get through.

First Bus

So there were some scheduled changes to the timetable that took effect this weekend. I have previously noted the First Solent changes to:

• Services 12, 13, 14, 18 and 25 moving to Stagecoach South
• X4 and X5 extended from Southampton West Quay to Southampton Central Station
• Frequency changes on The Star 7 and 8 (and the diversion of the 7 in late night services)
• Timetable changes to the Eclipse E1 and E2
• First Solent’s press release

I did not post though about the changes at First Wessex:

• Portland Coaster (or 501 to us oldies) finished at the weekend
• Jurassic Coaster X50 now terminates short at Wool (via Lulworth)
• Sunseeker 12 and 13 services have now reverted to their low season “one bus operation” timetable

We also have changes from 10th September

• Timetable changes on service 1 to Portland
• Service 2 reverts to every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday (every 30 minutes Sunday)
• Service 3 does not change the Council found some cash down the back of the sofa
• Service 4 reverts to every 40 minutes daily
• Service 8 will run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday (hourly Sunday)
• X52 will close for the winter
• X53 will have an extra trip from Weymouth in the mornings

Free Travel in Portsmouth

Bus use is free in the Portsmouth City area on weekends throughout September.

First Solent and Stagecoach are both allowing free travel for all journeys that start within the city but if you are traveling out of the city then you will need to pay to get back.

All Saturday and Sunday trips are included, as well as Sunday 1st October.

Go South Coast

There are timetable changes that took effect as the schools go back this weekend. We covered the Bluestar changes on this post previously, but to summerise:

• Re-timings across Bluestar 2 for reliability
• Changes around the afternoon school run on Bluestar 5 – and removal of the 0010 from Romsey
• Route change on the Bluestar 7 in Shirley (now stops in Shirley Park Road, not McDonalds Sainsburys) and timetable changes
• Re-timings on Bluestar 9 – especially weekday afternoons
• A few additional early and late trips on Bluestar 11
• Route change for Bluestar 14 via Drummond Road (towards Hedge End Station only) with revised timetable
• Re-timings on Bluestar 17, 18, 19 and 20 (with some additional buses as well)

Southern Vectis have service alterations registered to take effect on the weekend of Saturday 1st, Sunday 2nd October.

More Expensive Travel at Go South Coast

The price of fares has increased across Bluestar, morebus and Southern Vectis this weekend (and Damory, Reds, etc)

Most day tickets and period seasons will increase in price.

Most single and return tickets do as well, but with the £2 bus fare cap still in place you probably will not notice yet.

Transpora

With the Bournemouth seafront service coming to an end last month, and the Weymouth Park and Ride contract finishing; the team at Transpora Dorset are probably hard at work preparing for the start of the Kingston Maurward College term.

It will be interesting to see if any daytime services pop up between the peaks.