Simply Reds

On 22 March 2010, south central England’s other premier operator relaunched its Salisbury city services.

This wasn’t the razzmatazz associated with new buses (though ex-Southern Vectis MPDs cascaded remaining stepped vehicles out, alongside Citaros). Instead, Wilts & Dorset applied a little bit of gloss, with the rebranding of a simple network (not that it was especially complicated to start with). And there appeared “Salisbury Reds” on bus sides, bus stops and timetables. Simply reds, in other words. It was all designed to make the bus service that bit more appealing. Image is, after all, everything. Even if, in this case, image was exaggerated by smoke & mirrors, a way of elaborating the benefits of an otherwise low-key change, or disguising the bad news.

Nine Dennis/Transbus MPDs of 2003/4 for Salisbury Red routes supplement eight Citaros. Note the simple "Reds" branding and the addition of blue under the windscreen. Otherwise, the livery is more lor less standard W&D (photo Bus Pics South used with permission)

Here we again see the fragility of the W&D operation, as the operator tries to align supply with demand, in order to ensure sustainability.

The end game was sustainability in an age of static Salisbury growth and traffic congestion. That most core services survived unscathed is a testament to the general profitability over the years of Salisbury’s city and local operations. But there was a less welcome impact, especially on non-core routes that now find themselves outside the, erm, glamour of the Salisbury Red network. Here we again see the fragility of the W&D operation, as the operator tries to align supply with demand, in order to ensure sustainability.

For the city services themselves, there was little of substance. The 57 Bishopdown (now Red 2), 62 Paul’s Dean (Red 4) and 72 Laverstock (Red 6) continue pretty much as is, without changes to frequency. The flagship, Citaro-operated Pulseline Bemerton Heath-Hospital regains a number as Red 1, on the same frequency, but the Woodfalls Pulseline element downgrades to plain 44, from hourly to some eight a day.

The 55 West Harnham (Red 5) was increased from two to three per hour. To think that with the W&D of old, in the 1960s, this operated six per hour.

One service where there was a negative impact was the 60/60A/61. The core service between Salisbury and Wilton becomes Red 3. All journeys operate on the same route and it means that Red 3 departures from Wilton are at last back to clockface. So far, so fair. But the result is three rather than four per hour. In the 1960s this, too, was six per hour.

The community of Ditchampton now relies on the support provided by Wiltshire council, with one bus an hour as service 13, rather than two 60/60As.

Then there’s the former 53 Devises Road, halved to hourly as plain 10. No Red preface here. The hourly frequency of the 73 Bishopdown Farm remains pretty much intact as plain 11. W&D splits its off-peak cross-city 71 (Stratford/Harnham Hill) as 12 or 14, without much real damage.