Author: Stuart George
Further Changes To Southern Vectis Bus Routes
Monday, 17th March, 2008 at 10:57 am, Isle of Wight
Following the changes announced recently, a couple more things have just come to light about Southern Vectis services:
Firstly, they’ve decided to run the Island Coaster (was X40 last year) through the Easter period until 19 April.
This started last Saturday and runs every day along the Military Road to Freshwater Bay & Alum Bay. Journeys leave Ventnor (Albert Street) at 1045 & 1115 and return from Alum Bay at 1630 & 1700.
Unlike last year it will call at all bus stops en route and normal fares will be charged (there was a £5 flat fare last year).
In addition, they’ve also decided to run a weekday service on Good Friday & Easter Monday this year (in previous years a Sunday service has operated) so, although there will be no rail link on those days, there will be a service 3 bus every 30 mins between Ventnor & Shanklin.
The only drawback is that the last bus to Whitwell and Niton will be at the weekday time of 1740 instead of 1900.
Details of the new timetables are on Southern Vectis’ new website
Email This Story To A Friend
March 17th, 2008 at 11:06 am
“there was a £5 flat fare last year”
———-
blimey - that’s extortionate.
if one hasn’t got a car and on a low-income, one’s quality of life must be heavily affected by the steep bus fares.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
The website times are different to the new bus time table they have brought out. Confusion!
March 17th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
One thing I learnt last year is the maximum amount they are allowed to charge per trip. For instance, if you want to go from Ventnor to Freshwater, rather than asking for a ticket to Newport, then from Newport to Freshwater, always ask for your destination when you buy your ticket. The bus company can only charge up to a certain amount - it was something around £2.80 last time I travelled on one.
March 18th, 2008 at 12:18 am
In respect of maximum fares, there is no maximum that bus companies can charge. Our own decision two years ago was to introduce ‘through fares’, so that for any journey between any two points on the Island, you can have a single ticket, regardless of the need to change buses or which combination of reasonable routes you choose to make the journey via.
The website timetables contain all journeys. Unfortunately, IW Council gave us less than two weeks notice of its intention to carry on funding non-viable early morning, evening and Sunday journeys across the Island. We held the timetable book back as long as possible to allow them time to make their decision, but unfortunately this was not forthcoming and the booklet went to print, returning back later than we would all have liked. The confirmation then came after that and the additional journeys are now being produced in a supplement. This is not how we would like it and exteremely disappointing, but unfortunately was out of our hands.
Similarly as a result there is no roadside publicity right now due to the late confirmation. Our ‘Summer’ timetable proper commences on 20 April, and relies on no external decisions, so should be available in good time beforehand. We are now working on all the proper information provision to get things back as they should be from that date.