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More and more are on the buses

5:57am Thursday 15th May 2008

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AS FUEL prices continue to rise and driving costs soar, more Bournemouth residents are switching to bus travel, according to new figures.

During the past year the number of bus passenger journeys in the borough has increased by 18 per cent, one of the highest rises in the country.

Bournemouth council, which has just withdrawn its subsidy from some routes formerly run by Yellow Buses, insists that rising passenger numbers reflect routes being linked to demand.

But critics, including Cllr Ron Whittaker, are furious that less profitable routes in outlying areas like Throop and Muscliff are being curtailed.

He said: "There was absolutely no consultation about council funding being withdrawn for the Yellow Buses 4b service.

"From May 25 it will not be running via Chesildene Drive and Shillingstone Drive during weekday evenings and Sundays.

"While our local bus services are being cut, new services are being funded in other parts of the borough.

"What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

Although Yellow Buses was sold off by Bournemouth council, the authority still subsidises some routes.

But Cllr Robert Lawton, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: "We've made significant improvements to ensure buses are available where demand is high.

"Unfortunately there will be some areas of Bournemouth where buses are being withdrawn but we have made every effort to provide alternative arrangements, where possible, to minimise any inconvenience.

"We received a number of requests for additional routes and although we cannot accommodate them all, by providing some additional routes, on a trial basis over the next six months, we can assess whether they should continue."

Bus changes include a new evening and Sunday service between Bournemouth Hospital and Kinson, a new service for the Littledown area and new all-night services at weekends between Bournemouth and Westbourne, Parkstone, Poole, Charminster, Boscombe and Iford.

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Your Say YourThisisdorset

John, Poole says...
7:58am Thu 15 May 08

new all-night services at weekends between Bournemouth and Westbourne, Parkstone, Poole, Charminster, Boscombe and Iford.

Matthew Gillett of
Branksome East Liberal Democrats has been campaigning for the weekend night service bus route to be extended to the University.
This would benefit students by having cheaper fares and local residents by not having numerous taxis on their doorstep in the middle of the night.

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pilot, Bournemouth says...
8:37am Thu 15 May 08

With fuel prices rising almost daily. The bus fares are going to rise to cover the costs. We cannot win.

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Newsreader, North Dorset says...
8:54am Thu 15 May 08

Public transport is all very well in towns and cities but in rural areas it is impossible to live without a car.

I agree wholeheartedly with pilot's comment as I am sure that the bus fares will increase "to cover higher fuel prices".

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Christopher, Wallisdown & Winton West says...
11:28am Thu 15 May 08

Firstly, it is obvious to everyone, including hopefully the reporter of this story, and those mentioned in it that if fuel prices keep rising then fares will rise also. The public transport system is diabolical as it is, and can only get worse in the present climate.

An increase in use is beyond me. On my travels I see many empty buses on routes such as No's 5s, 6s, and many more. At the same time it appears also that the level of private transport has not reduced either, which would be the effect if public transport passengers had increased.

It appears the figures are all wrong.

Until the prices of fuel come down, which ever we use, it is not going to be cheap.

STAY AWAY FROM BP AND ESSO


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davey, bournemouth says...
11:51am Thu 15 May 08

I am going to buy a Bike for £200, My figures show if I cycle to work 14 miles once a week and do the odd trip using my bike instead of the car then i will pay for the bike within a year.

If everybody did similar things to this then the demand for petrol would be less and prices could not continue to rise, 1/5th less demand just for one day a week!!

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Angus, Bournemouth says...
2:38pm Thu 15 May 08

I gave up my car in December and bought a bike for £400. By cycling 6 miles a day instead of using the bus, I will have saved enough to cover the cost of the bike in under 6 months.

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Newsreader, North Dorset says...
3:48pm Thu 15 May 08

I live 25 miles away from Poole and Bournemouth so have a 50 mile round trip each day. However much I would like to get fit there's no way I could cycle in each day!

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Newsreader, North Dorset says...
3:48pm Thu 15 May 08

I live 25 miles away from Poole and Bournemouth so have a 50 mile round trip each day. However much I would like to get fit there's no way I could cycle in each day!

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Newsreader, North Dorset says...
3:49pm Thu 15 May 08

I don't know how that happened!

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omegaman, Bournemouth says...
4:28pm Thu 15 May 08

Why did Cllr Whittaker vote to sell off the bus company then?

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PETE WOODLEY, says...
5:06pm Thu 15 May 08

omegaman wrote:
Why did Cllr Whittaker vote to sell off the bus company then?
Interesting point,will we get a answer.

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A local resident, Poole says...
6:51pm Thu 15 May 08

Cycling is defintely the way to go, it's saving me £80 a month cycling to work and back across Poole. It also takes no more time during the rush hour as I go past the long queues of traffic. I've noticed a significant increase in the amount of people cycling to work.

I've put £20 in the tank since Easter and feel much fitter - it's the way forward


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Carl Barron, Dorset says...
7:05pm Thu 15 May 08


More and more are on the buses you say.

Well, did I get an awakening on this Wednesday. I boarded the W&D 150 from just one stop up from the Triangle Bus terminal and it was almost full. When the Bus got to Westbourne a few stops away the driver stopped the bus and came up stairs to find just ONE SPARE seat left .

Wouldn't you think they W&D would like to capitalise on the boom and put on more busses?

If ever a foreign enterprise is needed to compete is has a brilliant opportunity .

The bus had a great number of fare paying customers, not all were riding on a Bus Pass.


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seafrontpatroller, Beach Hut says...
7:07pm Thu 15 May 08

If people don't like taking the bus there is a good scheme running at carsharedorset.com

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Carl Barron, Dorset says...
7:13pm Thu 15 May 08

Incidentally the 150 Bus is a Double Decker with a capacity of about 82 Passengers

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philly, bournemouth says...
7:35am Fri 16 May 08

As mentioned before....what does one do with a toddler and the 11 bags of shopping for the week? Cant use bikes or buses for this! And with no local shops anymore the possibility of shopping for little bits every day has gone too. The old and infirm cannot use public transport as it is not 'user-friendly'. Only alternative is on line shopping which just isolates people who love the trip to the shops for a chat etc. Just because they think there are more people using the buses doesnt mean that everyone can. The people who now cycle & use the bus are people who should have done it before and then maybe our roads would not be so packed for the people who have no choice but to use a car.

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The-bleeding-obvious, Bournemouth says...
8:47am Fri 16 May 08

How long before the counil have to reduce parking charges in the town centre to get people back in their cars?

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Victoria Colthup, Bournemouth says...
12:40pm Fri 16 May 08

I would like to add that when I was a child my mother was a single parent with no car. She had a basket on the front for the shopping and a seat on the back for me. She even sang as she cycled along. Go and buy a secondhand bike for £40 -so you may have to fix the brakes on it, but you will get fitter and be happier. My husband and I used to drive an old banger, but unfortunately it died of old age (R.I.P)- however - we are saving over £1000 per year not running it. (No need to pay a gym membership!!) We cannot park anywhere near work, so we have been cycling in for years. As far as shopping is concerned, we are living in privileged times, certain supermarkets only charge a fiver or so for delivery –if you do a monthly shop it ends up cheaper to pay this than to keep a car on the road. Even if the delivery charge rises to £10 it will still be cheaper. I must admit I don’t really like travelling on the bus, as it takes me 25 mins to cycle to work in the fresh air, and is free, but it takes an hour to make the journey by bus and costs £2. Cycling is the way to go!!!

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exessexman, new forest says...
12:51pm Fri 16 May 08

Carl Barron wrote:

More and more are on the buses you say.

Well, did I get an awakening on this Wednesday. I boarded the W&D 150 from just one stop up from the Triangle Bus terminal and it was almost full. When the Bus got to Westbourne a few stops away the driver stopped the bus and came up stairs to find just ONE SPARE seat left .

Wouldn't you think they W&D would like to capitalise on the boom and put on more busses?

If ever a foreign enterprise is needed to compete is has a brilliant opportunity .

The bus had a great number of fare paying customers, not all were riding on a Bus Pass.

They are putting more on the 150 (or 50 as it will be renumbered) from 27th May.

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exessexman, new forest says...
2:35pm Fri 16 May 08

For the changes see

http://www.wdbus.co.
uk/htm/ttOther/tt_25
_may.pdf

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jobsworthwatch, Bournemouth says...
3:38pm Fri 16 May 08

To keep the impetus going the council should set an example by closing their free staff car parking and issuing bus passes to their employees. The council carparks could then be used by real town centre workers!

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fedupwithjobsworths, Moordown says...
3:55pm Fri 16 May 08

jobsworthwatch wrote:
To keep the impetus going the council should set an example by closing their free staff car parking and issuing bus passes to their employees. The council carparks could then be used by real town centre workers!
I agree, free parking for Town Hall staff is a disgrace, they should be made to pay like the rest of us or use Public Transport at their own expense - they should not be given free bus passes.

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Carl Barron, Dorset says...
4:44pm Fri 16 May 08


Posted by: exessexman, new forest on 12:51pm today

Quote They are putting more on the 150 (or 50 as it will be renumbered) from 27th May.

Reply Yes exessexman , they have told me the same story too.

A whole lot of Magical Things are supposed to happen by W&D from the 27th May.

Such as the New X12 Bus will replace both the 121 Service and the 123 Service.

So you just hop on a bus and take it for granted that the bus is going to take the route you want?

The W&D Web Site is also having a major upgrade so I'm informed which they say will take about 4 months to complete . By that time we will be entering into Winter and all the trade that could have been, will have been lost due to Bad Management.

Why did they not program the Bus Routes and thier web site before the summer began?


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exessexman, new forest says...
7:21am Mon 19 May 08

Carl Barron wrote:

Posted by: exessexman, new forest on 12:51pm today

Quote They are putting more on the 150 (or 50 as it will be renumbered) from 27th May.

Reply Yes exessexman , they have told me the same story too.

A whole lot of Magical Things are supposed to happen by W&D from the 27th May.

Such as the New X12 Bus will replace both the 121 Service and the 123 Service.

So you just hop on a bus and take it for granted that the bus is going to take the route you want?

The W&D Web Site is also having a major upgrade so I'm informed which they say will take about 4 months to complete . By that time we will be entering into Winter and all the trade that could have been, will have been lost due to Bad Management.

Why did they not program the Bus Routes and thier web site before the summer began?

I think you'll find that even people associated with W&D feel that the X12 will muddle people, and that the company is often not very smart. I am just an ordinary bloke who tries to keep abreast of matters and share. This messenger does not appreciate being shot. That's what you seem to be doing.

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Carl Barron, Dorset says...
9:02am Mon 19 May 08


Posted by: exessexman, new forest on 7:21am today

Quote I think you'll find that even people associated with W&D feel that the X12 will muddle people, and that the company is often not very smart. This messenger does not appreciate being shot. That's what you seem to be doing.


Reply Whilst I do appreciate your input exessexman , I am not shooting any messenger as the message the people are getting is that W&D as you have said yourself . the company is often not very smart. I think that's putting it mildly when you have an important task of managing one of the areas Key Infrastructures Public Transportation.

It is quite obvious from my passed findings (stated here) that your management would do well to consider retaining . As one Bus the X12 cannot possibly cover two routes at the same time can it?

I feel very sorry for the Bus Drivers , as they will be a the blunt end of this mess, not the management.



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