Consolidation not Cataclysm

It’s not just Wilts & Dorset making changes on the Dorset coast next month. So is Transdev Yellow Buses. Unlike last year, the change dates don’t coincide.

TYB’s 3 May 2009 changes are more about consolidation than cataclysm. They build nicely upon the network that’s seen phenomenal growth of up to 40 per cent sine July 2006. I don’t recall TYB seeing any major national awards for reversing the decline of some three per cent per annum at the old Yellow Buses. Shame. (They recieved a local one, though.)

What’s new from 3 May?

The 1a Bournemouth-Boscombe-Jumpers Corner-Christchurch-Somerford Rd-Somerford is increased from every 10 to every 7½ minutes.

A considerable improvement in that Somerford Road currently sees an unco-ordinated nine buses per hour that will in future be eight per hour evenly spread. No direct service to Poole, though.

The 1b & 1c through Poole-Bournemouth-Christchurch/Somerfords are retimed throughout, still operate every 10 minutes.

Since the withdrawal of the m2 east of Boscombe, this remains the region’s only through service across the entire conurbation, from Poole to Somerford.

TYB now offers 14 buses per hour along the Christchurch Road to Boscombe to W&D’s eight on m2 (plus two per hour on the X3).

The 1b will henceforward terminate at Christchurch, not Somerford.

The 1c will operate through Somerford estate (Hunt Rd) rather than the 1b.

To think that 30 years ago, Somerford estate saw just four return Bournemouth Transport trips per day! Immediately prior to TYB the estate saw two buses per hour

With the increased 1a via Somerford Road, this tidies things up in Somerford, with the 1c via Hunt Rd and only the 1a via Somerford Road.

There are minor timing changes to the 2, 4 and 6.

The 3 is unchanged on weekdays but is increased from every half-hour to every 20 minutes on Sundays.

This matches W&D’s three per hour via Charminster to Castlepoint on the m1.

The 18 from Broadstone & Canford Heath sees an amended route in Bournemouth town centre and some retimings, especially at peak.

The 49 is a new service that follows requests for a link from Lytchett Minster to Poole & Bournemouth and actually runs off the back of Your Bus* no. 19 (Creekmoor-Lytchett Minister School). It has one return trip on schooldays.

This reintroduces a yellow-liveried bus (UPDATE: well, white actually) along Penn Hill, once a marketing coup. The 49 competes marginally with W&D’s 40 & 9 but extends to Bournemouth. We like the choice of the number 49. Perhaps an extension to garage (for Castelpoint) might prove useful.

* not to be confused with Dunn Motor Traction