I received an email from a blog reader between Christmas and New Year. In a similar way that some local newspapers publish letters from their readers, I thought that it might be interesting to try something new for 2025 and do similar.
If you have a letter you would also like to publish for discussion, then feel free to reach out via the contact page and I will see how much we get and so how often we do this. I would probably even take letters via Facebook Messenger and X, as long as Elon Musk does not put even more restrictions on what free accounts can do.
I keep thinking about X Premium…. I almost did during the Black Friday sale…. You need 5 MILLION impressions a month to make it effective though!
So onwards to our first Thought from a Reader I will point out that I have made a few adjustments to the original text:
Having some time to spare this Friday 27th afternoon, I thought I would bring to your attention and that of the readers here, to a disgraceful lack of public transport provision by those responsible for putting in place essential connections in this the Solent Area of South Hampshire.
Since the withdrawal of fare stage services by Xelabus, which must be two years ago, the population of Grange Park Hedge End [over 1.000 homes] have had NO public transport connection to Hedge End Centre for, Dr’s, Dentists, Banks, Post Office, Library, Pharmacies and a range of other retail services. Eastleigh Council have totally abandoned and ignored the plight of this population, many of whom cannot afford taxi fares all the time. This is a grossly irresponsible conduct on the part of Eastleigh Borough Council. Arrangements could have been made to extend Bluestar Service 14, from the present terminus at Hedge End Station, through Wildern Lane to Hedge End Centre.
It is unbelievable but fact; 300.000 people have been left with no bus or train connection. The population of greater Southampton, have no means of travel between the major centres of Commerce, Southampton and Whiteley, Segensworth and all the conurbations in between, other than by car or Taxi. So much for the Green agenda? If you are financially or physically handicapped, or unable to sit behind the wheel of a motor car, then at present you are denied all the opportunities retail or employment, at stake here?
There is no Bus or Train, to link between these two major centres affecting some 300.000 population and this is not a joke, it is incompetence that has allowed this situation to arise.
I have put forward a suggestion recently published in [one of the local newspapers], for extending Bluestar service 14, from the present terminus at Hedge End Station, to Whiteley and Segensworth.
This would link up the conurbations and major population hubs of firstly, Southampton, Bitterne, West End, Superstores, Grange Park, Hedge End Train Stn, Hedge End Centre, Botley Centre, Curbridge, Whiteley and Segensworth. Once established it would form the lifeblood of all these population hubs of Commerce and Employment opportunities. In the process if routed through Wildern Lane, it will restore the bus link between Grange Park and Hedge End Centre for over 1.000 homes.
This has to be given very serious consideration, because this disgraceful situation cannot be allowed go on any longer; It is denying thousands of people opportunities they cannot otherwise access.
I totally agree with your reader. I live on the Waterside and we have exactly the same issues, additionally to muddy the argument the Hythe Ferry is currently suspended and there are periodic conversations about reopening the railway to passengers.
I am undecided as to the value of the Hythe Ferry, it’s wonderful for nostalgia, but you need to get to the ferry terminal to use the service when it’s operating. I would either have to use the bus or drive to get to the ferry, so it’s not a great option.
I am however within a short walk of a disused station, as I believe many on the Waterside are.
The bus service is operated as a commercial venture and this means that it only runs when it can make money, the bus company makes noises about a social conscience, but that is behind the need to make a profit in the list of priorities. We also have similar problems with getting to appointments. Prior to the bus fare cap, the bus fares charged for the Waterside could only be described as premium and this would appear to be gradually returning.
I believe that to get the level of public transport service we desire, it would take a serious amount of local authority subsidy and maybe franchising etc.. The problem is the money and other resources are just not available and it doesn’t seem likely to be found.
It’s now going back a good few years, but the bus company seemed to think that the BS8 service couldn’t be sustained without a subsidy and they savagely cut the service. The sceptical might think that this was to try and force a subsidy from the council. The problem with cutting a service is that the regular passengers disappear as they are forced to make alternative arrangements, which can include giving up work. Bringing the service back, will not get all the passengers back, as they had to move on, don’t forget most bus passengers use the bus because they have to, not for pleasure.
I use the services to the Waterside frequently, the extra provision in the evening is more than welcome, but, there are several areas where provision could be improved, without significant extra cost.
in the evening why not run a hybrid service 9E Direct 9M via Marchwood, with extra stops in Waterloo Road and Redbridge Roundabout.
A bus stop at Twiggs Lane on the A326 where there is a pedestrian controlled crossing would provide extra options for Marchwood residents.
Running revenue services back to Totton instead of running light back to Depot.
Also there is an issue with the southbound stop at Bulls Copse. it is situated on a bend and the sight lines for crossing the road are insufficient for a road where traffic is travelling at 50 mph and often more. The Railway bridge obscures the view. Moving the stop 150 metres north would give an uninterrupted view
These are all good points which the Better Buses for the Waterside campaign group will discuss next week.
The restoration of 20-minutely to the 9 is obviously good news but I wonder why they cannot extend to Calshot Mon-Fri hourly as well as Sat? Are they still building a large estate on the power station site? If so it would make sense to have a regular bus down there.
Conversely, I also wonder about the 11/12 being 10-minutely Mon-Fri daytime and 15-minutely Sat. They always seem well-used on Sat and it would also simplify the timetable (make it more user-friendly as well as more frequent) to have the same service 6 days a week.
Absolutely crazy that those in Whiteley (3,000 more homes adding as I type), can only get a bus to Fareham. They can not go to Hedge End nor to Southampton. (nor even Locks Heath)
There were about 2 buses a day that extended from Nth Whiteley to Botley rail stn but that was cut! Hardly a frequent service to warrant anyone using it! The extension as mentioned above would be ideal.
Whiteley has a thriving shopping centre, a cinema & many restaurants. Oh yes & a business park! But buses are like one every hour if you are lucky. Treated as if some kind of remote suburb of Fareham on the outskirts it certainly has vastly increased in size since the days of the old 63 route (or 76 if you can recall that). The Hedge End to Fareham 26 bus was cut several yrs ago on the basis of a customer number survey which I believe was botched as taken in a school holiday week when numbers would certainly be down!
Meanwhile the 49 & 49H trundles around the Botley / Hedge end area once in a blue moon with no one really knowing when or where it goes – more wasted HCC cash!
I wonder even whether there would be scope for a half-hourly direct service from Southampton to Fareham along the A27, but diverting into Whiteley?
I do wonder about the value of the 49/49H to be honest. If HCC are not able to fund the dedicated Southampton-Bishops Waltham service then how about another extension of the 14, even if every two hours, up to Durley and Bishops Waltham? It could then extend to Eastleigh after that, where there is an out-station so it might be operationally convenient in any case.
I wondered whether the 14 and the 3 could inter-link? So one 14 an hour extends to Hedge End village centre, and then becomes a 3 to return to Southampton, on the opposite half-hour to the existing 3. That might open up various opportunities.
I would question whether HCC and SCC would be able to work together for funding purposes at the moment.
Due to one being Labour and the other Conservative, or just because of the inherent bureaucracy of different bodies interacting with each other?
I would imagine not because of political persuasion as much as just the different Cabinet teams being different.