Not All Doom…

It’s not been a good year for rural bus users in Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire. We speculated as to why, yesterday.

We recently reported Wilts & Dorset's margins were poor so it’s not surprising that as part of the recovery plan it should be looking at marginal services. And with longer distance routes attracting a large operating penalty and allegations of unfair reimbursements for those travelling free of charge, it’s hardly surprising that W&D should examine some of its weaker trips.

And in the space of a year, virtually all the longer distance W&D services will have gone, most of which have a long, proud and distinguished history.

W&D states that “demand has changed”. This is only true to a point. It’s really just gotten smaller, sometimes to the point of extinction. Whereas some individual trips might ostensibly be “busy”, these cannot ever compensate for those carrying fresh air. And who can compete with the flexibility of the private car? As demographics and rural populations change, so do expectations—that cannot be fulfilled other than with personal transport.

First in June 2007 came wholesale changes to the 182/3 Shaftesbury-Blandford-Wimborne-Bournemouths and the 187-9 Bournemouth-Poole-Weymouths/Poole-Dorchester/Poole-Blandfords.

All that was really left of the 187-9 was an hourly 47 Lytchett Matravers-Poole with peak extensions to and from Bere Regis. As for the 182/3, ironically it’s almost as quick to take the X8 Blandford-Poole and change to m1 or m2 than use the former infrequent 182 through services.

Then there’s the announcement that the X4 will cease after last operation on 5 January 2008. The service linked Salisbury and Bath. It’s still unclear what will happen to the Salisbury-Warminster leg though expect some service operated on behalf of Wiltshire council.

Following closely are January changes to services in the Ringwood and Ferndown areas. W&D is altering its pattern of services considerably but the missing piece of the jigsaw is how Dorset and Hampshire councils intend reacting to both commercial decisions and contracts that no long pay—and whether in the current local government efficiency era either or both can afford to replace services lock, stock and barrel.

Remember that following Transdev Yellow Buses' incursion into Broadstone W&D will not willingly give away large parts of its territory so that, for example, the mighty c.37-mile X36 Poole-Ferndown-Ringwood-Bournemouth due for the chop will continue but be split, although the frequency on one leg falls. Sunday X36s disappear, unless saved.

• Other changes affect the irregular and shadow of its former self 134/5 Ringwood-Verwood-Ferndown-Bournemouth but some opportunities will be picked up by new 36 part-replacement for the X36.


• The 11 Poole-West Moors will terminate at Kinson. The 36 is expected to cover part of this but at a reduced level of service.


• The subsidised 136/7 Ringwood-Poulner circs fall but watch out for replacements.


• All X3s from Salisbury will henceforward terminate at Bournemouth, not Poole. Salisbury-Bournemouth just squeezes under the 50km bar.


• Expect the X35 Bournemouth-Ringwood-Southampton to operate east-north-east of Ringwood only. Even without Lyndhurst, it’s currently over the 31 miles (50 km) cut off. With it, it’s about 38.

Not all doom. But enough to be of concern to passengers and councils alike. Passengers will blame the operator who in turn must run a commercial business and will blame free travel reimbursements (or the lack thereof) and a combination of factors as outlined yesterday.