Isle of Wight News on Ventnor Blog

Thanks to Stuart George from the Isle of Wight Bus Users Group for information regarding forthcoming changes to the concessionary bus pass scheme. Ed

As previously reported on VB, the Isle of Wight council (IWC) has decided that on Mondays to Fridays from 1 April, the concessionary fares scheme will only apply between 9.30am and 11pm. At weekends and bank holidays it will still apply all day.

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The IW Council say that they intended to increase the cost of the Student Rider fare to £1.20 – a 20% uplift. They anticipate that this will save approximately £120k/year.

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Last updated 11.28am Wednesday

Most bus services are back to normal now, but not all so do check the details below if you intend to use the Island buses tomorrow (including school buses).

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Updated Wightbus info: 07:22am Tuesday

Here’s what we know currently about companies providing transport on the Island for Tuesday 12th January. Updates will occur as we hear more.

Information about the current state of the roads in available on the Isle of Wight Road Closures page.

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We’ll endeavour to keep this updated throughout the day with the latest travel information.

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*** Later information on Monday’s buses now available. ***

We’ve received this update below from Southern Vectis with regard to the school bus provision on Monday.

We’re still awaiting details of which schools will be closed (expect to be update later this afternoon), but please note that all High Schools will be open for those taking exams tomorrow.

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Last updated: 9:55am Saturday

We’ll endeavour to keep this updated over the weekend with the latest travel information.

Thanks to Darren from Bright Wight Images from this great shot of an Island Line train making it’s regular journey through the snow this week.

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Updates of Island travel on Friday are now on this other page. Best keep an eye on that one.

Not sure how it that we’ve got two pages, but hey ho.

Last Updated: 16.12pm

This page will be updated throughout the day with the latest travel information (more…)

Just had an update from Southern Vectis.

Not surprisingly with the weather being as it is in Newport, SV have suspended their services.

They tell us that a number of their vehicles are stuck on the road. They’re attempting to maintain contact with them to check that SV staff and passengers are okay. The emergency services are aware of the situation.

Some people who have been trying to get home from Newport, but that have been unable to leave due to the delayed buses, are stuck there, but will be housed in Newport Bus Station travel centre.

Image: Muffet under CC BY 2.0

News reaches us that snow is falling thick and fast in Freshwater (thanks Kelvin), Ryde (thanks Chelsea) and Carisbrooke (thanks Jaymee ) as we write, so the latest advice in from the Police and Southern Vectis is all the more relevant now.

Southern Vectis tell us that despite the snow they will attempt to maintain the bus services on routes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 38 as best as they can.

Clearly if it’s not safe for them to operate, services will be suspended.

We’ll be keeping you up to date tomorrow morning on any service updates from the Island’s bus company.

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Many thanks to Stuart George of the IW Bus Users Group for his summary of how transport to and from Ventnor will be affected over the Christmas and New Year period.

Bus services through Ventnor over the Christmas & New Year period will again be improved this year. Normal services will run on all days except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Monday 28th December, and New Years Day.

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We heard a while back that residents of Pixley Hill, Freshwater and the surrounding area weren’t too happy about Southern Vectis after they started running the Number 7 route up and down the hill.

Indeed, 15 individual letters of complaint and a petition with ‘multiple signatures’ (not sure how many were on it) were sent to the Isle of Wight Council and the local member, Cllr Sutton, officially asked that the IWC look into it.

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A quick reminder.

The Shanklin Road will be closed from Hollow Lane to Whiteley Bank Crossroads this week.

Diversions will be in place for routes 2 and 3 and school bus routes 73 and 82.

Here’s the details we reported last week.

News reaches us of proposed roadworks next week in the Godshill area that will have an impact on the No.3 bus route. If you drive through Godshill, it’ll be worth reading on to see the diversion route.

The Bus Users Group advises that the bus route No. 3 will continue to run at normal times next week, but won’t serve Godshill or Merstone.

Anyone travelling to those places will need to change buses at Blackwater.

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Cllr Edward Giles, IW Council cabinet member for environment and transport, has revealed that the current shortfall in the scheme that sees any pensioner in the UK travel free on Island buses is expected to cost the Island £3 million this year.

The scheme was brought in by the Government and applies across the whole of the UK was discussed by the IW Council and introduced two years ago, in November 2009.

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As we know, after many years of planning and negotiation, the Isle of Wight Council recently made the decision to cancel the Ryde Interchange.

The bible for Architects – The Architects’ Journal – has today published a piece with the reaction to the cancellation by the Architect of the site, Marks Barfield, who also designed the world-famous London Eye.

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Thanks to Stuart from the Bus Users Group for sending through details of this event. If you use Island buses, you should read on. Ed

Bus Users on the Isle of Wight, are to have a chance to meet the people responsible for running their local bus services.

National Passenger Group Bus Users UK is holding one of its Bus Users Surgeries in Newport, at St Thomas’ Square, between 10am – 3pm next Wednesday.

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Whilst we’re on the subject of travel, Southern Vectis are reporting delays to Route 1 of their bus service.

Expect delays of 15 minutes due to works at Stag Lane, Newport.

Useful to know if you’re driving too, expect traffic queues.

Image: myuibe under CC BY-SA 2.0

The bus crash that occurred in Cowes last week, that in turn lead to a lorry crashing into some pedestrians, is as of today, still under police investigation.

Our original report of the incident sparked considerable discussion on VB.

Thankfully it’s no longer being treated as a life-threatening incident by the authorities.

One man still in hospital
Contrary to some media reports, Hampshire police tell us that the 49-year-old Cowes man involved in the incident remains in hospital, following surgery.

The other man that was in hospital, a 46-year-old from Romsey has been released.

If you’re planning to drive from Ventnor to Shanklin along Leeson Road this week, beware of road closures.

Due to carriageway repair works on Bonchurch Road between Cowleaze Hill and Leeson Road (Smugglers Haven) access along that route will be confined to residences and businesses only.

This also means that the Route 3 bus will be diverted this week.

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The RMT members that are on strike from Southern Vectis today have formed a picket on the pavement by the Newport and Ryde bus stations.

At Newport there are six pickets (the maximum officially allowed) and a number of others supporting them. Ian Terry, who took part in Vestas Sit-in, was also there.

A manager from Southern Vectis was standing some distance away watching the proceedings.

Yesterday we detailed the routes affected by the strike.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has since March 2009 been carrying out a study into bus services provided to local areas around the UK.

They were concerned about the rising cost of bus journeys and their market survey has found that in many local areas a lack of competition may be the cause.

The Isle of Wight is highlighted in the report as one area with one very large player with high market share.

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Please see this update from Stuart George of the Bus Users’ Group. Ed

The Bus Users’ Group was originally told that holders of Southern Vectis Freedom & Rover tickets would be charged £1 to travel on Wightbus services from September and expressed its disappointment at this decision.

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Many thanks to Stuart George of the IW Bus Users Group for details of changes due to take place top bus services in September. There are some pretty worrying changes particularly for those using the No.6. Ed

There will be changes to bus services in Ventnor from the beginning of September, with reductions in IW council funding for public transport in the South Wight resulting in reduced peak services.

The only routes to retain their full current service levels are Wightbus route 31 which serves Bonchurch & Wroxall, and the Island Coaster.

Southern Vectis service 3 has some minor reductions which will make it less convenient to travel to Newport in the early evening, but otherwise largely retains the present service.

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