Hants Cuts: Fleet Buzz 72

Merry Thursday, which just so happens to be Christmas. In any case, Hampshire County Council are giving the present of removing your bus service, in the terms for some people!

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. Fleet is to notably notice the changes as they will lose their direct link to Aldershot, as well as some places along Fleet Buzz's Route 72, running between Reading and Aldershot at the moment.

Fleet Buzz 33307 on Route 72, Reading Station (Jan 2014)

This means that no longer will Reading see the word "Aldershot" as a destination of buses, as the route is diverted to Farnborough instead of Aldershot, thus leaving some places with no bus. It seems by HCC that the average load for Aldershot is a mere 4.5 people, so the link seems to be not feasible.


Fleet Buzz 25247 on Route 72, Reading Station (July 2014)

This also means there will no more Fleet Buzz in Reading, as this brand will be replaced by Stagecoach corporate branding, as it will transfer from Fleet Buzz to Stagecoach South.


Stagecoach South 34635 on Route 72, Reading Station (Oct 2014)

Also, the section of Minley Estate will be replaced by new route 9, which is a Farnborough circular.
Another minor alteration is the rerouting of the 72 to not go via Risley Dog & Partridge, but rather straight through Odiham Road.


Stagecoach South 16261 on Route 72, Aldershot (Dec 2014)

And as "the section from Fleet to Church Crookham, Quetta Park and Aldershot will no longer run, but a taxishare service is being arranged for travel between Fleet and Quetta Park.." This leaves a large area with no bus service. This seems to not bother Hampshire County Council, somehow.

Later, we will cover most of the rest of the cuts that are affecting the Blackwater Valley and Fleet.