Badger Bitter Pt 2

Part 1 here

The Badgerline/Southern Vectis partnership 20 years ago this month went into Poole because Wilts & Dorset was vulnerable. Vulnerable, because of its country operations. Vulnerable, because Badgerline alone had in June begun to weaken the highly profitable Salisbury market. Vulnerable, because Charlie’s Cars was already competing in the area, albeit largely against Yellow Buses. Vulnerable, because W&D’s management had just bought the company. And vulnerable, because W&D had no minibuses.

We’ve said it before but minibus networks were important at this time of Dereg and privatisation first, because an operator could instantly remarket its bus service. Marketing was far more important than the actual vehicles themselves. And secondly, minis were an important defensive tool against *potential* competition. A high frequency, penetrative minibus network was more difficult to break open.

Conversely, Badger Vectis saw the potential in taking W&D's Poole network that was unsupported by minis. Badger Vectis had two unique selling points. The first was the introduction of Minilinks. The second was crew operated conventional vehicles on other routes.

Minilink routes

• 3 Poole-Parkstone-Bourne Estate (every 20 mins)
• 6 Christchurch-Burton (various)
• 9 Poole-Broadstone-Wimborne (every 30 mins)
  

Conventionals (Crewed)

• 1 Broadstone-Creekmoor-Poole-Bournemouth (every 20 mins)
• 2 Turlin Moor-Poole-Bournemouth-Christchurch-Mudeford (every 20 mins)
• Combined 1/2 Poole-Bournemouth (every 10 mins)
• 7/8 Poole-Canford Heath (every 10 mins)

But, W&D hurriedly retaliated. It introduced the Skipper sub-brand, twenty years ago last Thursday (seven days after Badger Vectis’ invasion), using an increasing number of MCW Metroriders, though the first batch wasn't ready till November and the higher frequencies launched with conventionals.

W&D’s Skippers upped the frequency of its services between Poole and Canford Heath to every six minutes, and Poole to Creekmoor from hourly to very 15 minutes.

It also began operating a totally revised 105 (Poole Quay-Poole-Bournemouth) which, together with the 101-4 gave a bus between Poole and Bournemouth every five minutes. The three per hour extension to Poole Quay put paid to the oft forgotten Poole Bay Services hourly 200, to Bournemouth and Boscombe.

The combined Badger Vectis and W&D service between Poole and Bournemouth saw 18 buses an hour – not unlike today’s Transdev Yellow Buses and W&D combined operation along the same corridor.

To be continued...