Hampshire County Council are saving money by cutting funding from services, especially more evening and Sunday services. Some Basingstoke and Blackwater Valley services are to have their Sunday service commercially operated by Stagecoach with a two hour frequency. Certain areas in the Blackwater Valley will be significantly affected with some having to rely on taxishare services.
Fleet Buzz 30 is a casualty of the Hampshire County Council bus cuts due to a lack of usage on part of the route, with many other routes covering the old route.
Stagecoach South 16261 on Fleet Buzz Route 30, Fleet Station
The reason why an Olympian was used on the 30 was said by the following 77 driver as cold weather meant "4 buses could not start up".
The section of Odiham High Street - Crondall - Zebon Copse Estate (where this bus is going to) will have no bus service, but a Taxishare service will be provided. This does not really substitute for a bus service!
Fleet Buzz-Stagecoach South 47738 on Route 30, Fleet Station
The section between Church Crookham, Fleet and Farnborough will be covered by the revised 72, but following a more direct route than existing 30 (thus not serving most the roads that will lose their service between Crookham and Fleet).
Highgate Lane in Farnborough will now be served by revised route 41.
Minley Estate will be served by new Route 9, as 72 will not cover this part of the route.
Fleet Buzz-Stagecoach South 47737 on Route 30, Fleet Station
The section between Basingstoke and RAF Odiham will be replaced by a revised 10 (peak times only) and a rerouted 13.
More photos of the 30 at Fleet:
Fleet Buzz-Stagecoach South 47740 on Route 30, Fleet Station
Stagecoach South 47545 on Fleet Buzz Route 30, Fleet Station
Also, the 77 is to be withdrawn, replaced with yet another taxishare service:
Fleet Station to Fleet Station by Taxishare? Interesting!
Stagecoach South 47540 on Fleet Buzz Route 77, Fleet Station
From a driver on the route: Stagecoach had "asked for the subsidy to be doubled" and had worked until 11am, carrying only "4 passengers, all of which didn't pay" because they were all under the concessions pass. Stagecoach thus was losing money with the service, so instead of doubling the subsidy, the route would be withdrawn.
Stagecoach South 47540 on Fleet Buzz Route 77, Fleet Station
This 77 shown is going to a place that will have no bus service after the changes (the PVR is 1, hence the same bus photographed).
A disgruntled local however stated that the 77 withdrawal would mean that many people within Fleet can not go out without the bus service as they do not have a car.
As a footnote:
To confuse people (it confused at least two people in the three hours I was at Fleet), the new timetables for the 72 had already been put up, with the old timetables nowhere to be found!
And if you want outdated stop information, look no further than the flag. Of all the routes visible, only the 72 exists today. No sign of the 30 or the 77, and yet there is sign for a 71 and 73!
So Happy New Year, etc etc...
Good article. The flag at Fleet is a pretty poor show, but won't display the 9 anyway as that just loops around western Farnborough.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and I'll fix that immediately.
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