Seaside Lament

This year’s Transdev Yellow Buses open toppers are on a “use it or lose it” basis. Now, that’s sad. Very sad, indeed.

This year, the 12 will operate on summer school holidays only. It’s due to start from the rail station, in a bid to attract more tourists. The number of buses required is two.

Hands up who can remember those pretty Alexander bodied open top Fleetlines of yesteryear, on the 11s and 12s? My recollection is that both these routes, each operating every half an hour, required a PVR of nine out of 12 vehicles. The 11s and 12s provided a regular 15 minute headway between Southbourne, Boscombe Pier and Bournemouth Pier, the 12s running from the early May and the 11s joining them from late June.

It was no exaggeration to say that they would be bursting at “peak” times. By “peak”, we mean summer school holidays, generally except Saturdays. On a hot summer’s afternoon, there would be a full load upstairs and not a small number down. However, a dull or drizzly and windy day would result in much poorer loadings. Like many things on the coast, open tops are dependent upon the weather.

Tastes change. In general, open top services in the UK tend to be in decline. The number of routes operated is fewer, the frequency less and the span of operation contracting, towards summer school holidays, added to which there's been a marked decline in traditional seaside holidays in many coastal areas. The exceptions are the burgeoning sightseeing tours in historic cities, of course, but the fact is, an open top running along the seafront will not, of itself, pull the crowds like it once did.

Whereas families would jump an open top 15 or even 10 years ago simply for the ride, these days there needs to be a reason for the trip (hence the success of urban sightseeing open top tours). And this may explain why the remaining 12 has become far less popular. And it may also explain why Wilts & Dorset’s open tops are doing well. Using them on the Lymingtons means that W&D can offer product differentiation along the important Bournemouth – Christchurch corridor, as a means of attracting passengers away from the competition, but also provide enough seats for those who use the service for non-leisure purposes. And, of course, what better way to beat the traffic to Swanage and Studland at Sandbanks than on the 150.

Past, Present & Future

The mid-70s Bournemouth Transport's 11s operated half-hourly between The Square and Christchurch Quay, extending westwards to Sandbanks in an effort to assist erstwhile Hants & Dorset, following the Bournemouth bus station blaze 30 years ago.

In the 1970s, the 12 operated half-hourly between Alum Chine to Hengistbury Head. Last season, the 12 operated hourly between Sandbanks and Christchurch Civic Offices, requiring three vehicles.

For 2006, the eastern section is withdrawn and the western section still operates hourly. Those wishing to visit Christchurch by open top may do so with Wilts & Dorset. Transdev Yellow Buses requires two vehicles for its summer 2006 12.