Dorset Council’s tendered bus network

[PTR 444]

Dorset Council as of this week has implemented a renumbering of some of its tendered routes to the north and west of the county. The routes involved are as follows:

• 2: Gillingham - Shaftesbury (operated by South West Coaches - previously X2)
• 3: Bourton - Sturminster Newton (operated by South West Coaches - previously X4)
• 4: Yeovil - Blandford (operated by Buses of Somerset - previously X10)
• 5: Yeovil - Dorchester (operated by South West Coaches - previously X11)
• 6: Yeovil - Bridport (operated by First Wessex)
• 7: Shaftesbury - Blandford (operated by Damory - previously South West Coaches X3)

The choice of numbering while logical is interesting, as these duplicate certain other routes operating in the same county. For example there is also a 5 between Dorchester and Weymouth via Crossways. Also not all tendered routes within the Dorset Council local authority are covered under this system, therefore I was wondering if there are plans to expand this, or even for DC to take on commercial routes operated by First Wessex.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Also not all tendered routes within the Dorset Council local authority are covered under this system, therefore I was wondering if there are plans to expand this, or even for DC to take on commercial routes operated by First Wessex.

Unclear as to what you mean by this?

 

[PTR 444]

Unclear as to what you mean by this?

There are other tendered routes in Dorset not part of the unified numbering scheme (187 Dorchester - Bere Regis, X12 Dorchester - Blandford etc), therefore are there plans to renumber these at a later date?

As for the second part of the question, I was referring to whether Dorset Council might tender some routes currently operated commercially by First Wessex.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

There are other tendered routes in Dorset not part of the unified numbering scheme (187 Dorchester - Bere Regis, X12 Dorchester - Blandford etc), therefore are there plans to renumber these at a later date?

As for the second part of the question, I was referring to whether Dorset Council might tender some routes currently operated commercially by First Wessex.

It was the latter point that confused me. The X54 has a deminimis element and I can't see the X51/X53 being supported. The rest are Weymouth locals and they largely conflict with the new numbers (2 to Littlemoor, 3 to Westham, 4 to Preston etc)

Given the pressure on budgets and no BSIP money, I'd suggest no expansion is likely unless it is absolutely unavoidable (esp. given Dorset's record on subsidising services)

 

[henairs]

Dorset Council as of this week has implemented a renumbering some of its tendered routes to the north and west of the county. The routes involved are as follows:

• 2: Gillingham - Shaftesbury (operated by South West Coaches - previously X2)
• 3: Bourton - Sturminster Newton (operated by South West Coaches - previously X4)
• 4: Yeovil - Blandford (operated by Buses of Somerset - previously X10)
• 5: Yeovil - Dorchester (operated by South West Coaches - previously X11)
• 6: Yeovil - Bridport (operated by First Wessex)
• 7: Shaftesbury - Blandford (operated by South West Coaches - previously X3)

The choice of numbering while logical is interesting, as these duplicate certain other routes operating in the same county. For example there is also a 5 between Dorchester and Weymouth via Crossways. Also not all tendered routes within the Dorset Council local authority are covered under this system, therefore I was wondering if there are plans to expand this, or even for DC to take on commercial routes operated by First Wessex.

Damory have won the contract for the 7 Blandford to Shaftsbury service and are already running it.

 

[PTR 444]

Damory have won the contract for the 7 Blandford to Shaftsbury service and are already running it.

Corrected. It was previously operated by South West Coaches as route X3.

 

[henairs]

No problem, happy to help

 

[richard13]

A few clarifications and additions to these changes;

These routes form Dorset's Cross country network.

All routes are now Monday - Friday only. The residual Saturday service(s) were lost in this change.

2 & 3 - was X2 & X4. These had route alterations in Gillingham and Shaftesbury estates, plus new Wiltshire contract 58 (Gillingham - Mere). Changed 5th December by South West Coaches from Wincanton.
4 - was x10. No Change except route number - Changed 30th January by First from Yeovil. (alternates with their 58)
5 - was X11. No Change (or minor) - Changed 5th December by South West Coaches from Yeovil.
6 - was 6. (This route was not in the original Dorset plan hence no X) Now First Wessex (Bridport) alone without First from Yeovil. 07:10 from Bridport is now everyday to Yeovil and not a Yeovil bus on School holidays only (lots of dead mileage!). On School days there was a sort of connection with the 96 to Yeovil at Misterton with separate fares etc.. It finally gets a proper timetable after years of struggle by the locals. Beaminster town council still runs a Saturday service as CB3. Changed 5th December.
7 - was X3. Changed from SW Coaches (Wincanton) to Damory (Blandford). Last trips bought forward to connect off the X8 from Poole at Blandford and then returns from Shaftesbury to Blandford as an extra run. Changed 30th January.

 

[dgl]

Also concerning commercial routes the Wessex 502 (Weymouth to Littlesea) and 503 (Weymouth to Bowleze) routs are to be renames 12 and 13 respectively.

 

[PTR 444]

A few clarifications and additions to these changes;

These routes form Dorset's Cross country network.

All routes are now Monday - Friday only. The residual Saturday service(s) were lost in this change.

2 & 3 - was X2 & X4. These had route alterations in Gillingham and Shaftesbury estates, plus new Wiltshire contract 58 (Gillingham - Mere). Changed 5th December by South West Coaches from Wincanton.

I didn’t realise that the Gillingham - Mere section of the ex-X4 had been split off into its own route. I assumed the 58 was referring to the Yeovil - Wincanton route with the same number. Interesting that 58 has been picked for the Gillingham - Mere route when the same number already exists in the vicinity.

Saying that, First’s 58 did historically run as a through route between Yeovil and Shaftesbury via Wincanton and Mere. Maybe there are plans to rejoin the two 58s and reinstate this link.

Also concerning commercial routes the Wessex 502 (Weymouth to Littlesea) and 503 (Weymouth to Bowleze) routs are to be renames 12 and 13 respectively.

Does this mean that the 501 (Weymouth to Portland Bill) will be renumbered to 11?

 

[Ancelljb]

Also concerning commercial routes the Wessex 502 (Weymouth to Littlesea) and 503 (Weymouth to Bowleze) routs are to be renames 12 and 13 respectively.

I'm not sure if this is linked to the Dorset tendering system though; it may just be First Wessex changing them to fit in with the numbering of the local Weymouth network.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Also concerning commercial routes the Wessex 502 (Weymouth to Littlesea) and 503 (Weymouth to Bowleze) routs are to be renames 12 and 13 respectively.

Does this mean that the 501 (Weymouth to Portland Bill) will be renumbered to 11?

I'd suggest that the 502/503 is just to reflect the trend of having easier to remember, lower service numbers, and it provides some consistency with the other First routes in Weymouth.

I guess the 501 could be renumbered to 11, or it might simply follow the First South West trend of not having a service number at all and just be branded the Portland Coaster?

I didn’t realise that the Gillingham - Mere section of the ex-X4 had been split off into its own route. I assumed the 58 was referring to the Yeovil - Wincanton route with the same number. Interesting that 58 has been picked for the Gillingham - Mere route when the same number already exists in the vicinity.

Saying that, First’s 58 did historically run as a through route between Yeovil and Shaftesbury via Wincanton and Mere. Maybe there are plans to rejoin the two 58s and reinstate this link.

Unless it's part of the Somerset Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), I'm not so certain. Is there actually much of a link between Wincanton and Mere/Gillingham? It is an interesting choice of number though. Back in the early 1990s, the Shaftesbury to Wincanton route was actually the 59 but even then, it was really two routes that overlapped in Gillingham.

Not certain what all this renumbering is supposed to achieve. I think I've seen the Blandford to Shaftesbury service being the 139/X13, then 182/183, then X9, then X3, and now the 7, in about 25-30 years. There is, of course, the continued erosion of the supported network that they even noted in the BSIP application that whilst commercial bus mileage had remained largely the same, supported mileage had dropped 65% in something like 10 years. The changes in 2017 were brutal and now it's a continuation with Saturday services going.

 

[Peter Philips]

Also concerning commercial routes the Wessex 502 (Weymouth to Littlesea) and 503 (Weymouth to Bowleze) routs are to be renames 12 and 13 respectively.

Registered as Sunseeker 12 & Sunseeker 13 so new (or Kernow!) branding as well

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Registered as Sunseeker 12 & Sunseeker 13 so new (or Kernow!) branding as well

As has been speculated, it would be a logical home for the two open air e200s that did Exmoor Sunseeker last year for the 503/13. I seem to recall the 502 was more often a decker so again a question as to what will work that.

Aside from Weymouth, the bus network in Dorset is now so parlous, it is scarcely credible. I seem to recall Sherborne to Yeovil was half hourly (or even 3 bph) during the day (57/58) and is two hourly on a Saturday. Great swathes of territory have a limited bus service, whilst some areas have disappeared off the map altogether.

 

[dgl]

Registered as Sunseeker 12 & Sunseeker 13 so new (or Kernow!) branding as well

It's interesting, also interesting is that the 12/502 is starting on the 1st March which ties in to when the owners are allowed back but will be a couple of weeks before the park opens to guests.

 

[Peter Philips]

I seem to recall the 502 was more often a decker so again a question as to what will work that.

The 502 was always a decker last year (mainly closed-top) and needs to be because of loadings, indeed it struggled on occasions last year when certain ones with less space for the amount of child buggies/beach gear tourists tried to wheel on were allocated.

 

[PTR 444]

Aside from Weymouth, the bus network in Dorset is now so parlous, it is scarcely credible. I seem to recall Sherborne to Yeovil was half hourly (or even 3 bph) during the day (57/58) and is two hourly on a Saturday. Great swathes of territory have a limited bus service, whilst some areas have disappeared off the map altogether.

Even worse, the grand total of routes within Dorset Council with at least one bus per hour during the week and a Sunday service stands at just 15 (see list below). 80% of these enter the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole local authority area, leaving the majority of Dorset with very sparse bus provision.

• 1: Weymouth - Portland
• 2: Weymouth - Littlemoor
• 10: Weymouth - Dorchester
• 3: Poole - Corfe Mullen - Wimborne
• X3 Bournemouth - Salisbury (Ashley Heath Roundabout is the only stop within the Dorset Council authority)
• 4: Poole - Merely - Wimborne
• 6: Bournemouth - Merley - Wimborne
• X6: Poole - Ferndown - Ringwood
• 8: Poole - Turlin Moor - Upton - Poole
• X8: Poole - Blandford
• 9: Poole - Upton - Turlin Moor - Poole
• 10: Poole - Lytchett Matravers
• 13: Bournemouth - Ferndown - Wimborne
• 40: Poole - Swanage
• 50: Bournemouth - Swanage (temporarily replaced with 2-hourly X50 route due to closure of Sandbanks Ferry)

 

[RELL6L]

Seems odd to confuse everyone and renumber these services, the timetables are mostly the same, it will just confuse people. More so with existing services with the same number, such as the 5 in Dorchester. And why not the X12 too - that's tendered isn't it? I agree that the X prefix was perhaps not helpful, they aren't expresses (no, let's not reopen the discussion on that), perhaps a D prefix to show Dorset funded might have been better.

On the list above, while probably true, there is an hourly service from Bridport to Lyme Regis and Axminster on the X51 and X53 combined, this is a relatively useful 'trunk' service. But generally its pretty sparse and Dorset's contribution to it, with the mass withdrawal of useful but infrequent routes a few years ago when these X-routes started, is not very positive.

 

[Peter Philips]

Also Dorset Council now receives all the ticket revenue collected on contracted services 2-7 with the values of the new contracts reflecting this change (with operators no longer keeping ticket revenue do they perhaps have less incentive to grow patronage?).

 

[PTR 444]

Also Dorset Council now receives all the ticket revenue collected on contracted services 2-7 with the values of the new contracts reflecting this change (with operators no longer keeping ticket revenue do they perhaps have less incentive to grow patronage?).

Interesting. Does this mean the council are likely to take over day to day operation of these services? I’m not sure if Dorset Council has any suitable vehicles of its own though.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Interesting. Does this mean the council are likely to take over day to day operation of these services? I’m not sure if Dorset Council has any suitable vehicles of its own though.

I'd very much doubt it. They have just been awarded to (new) operators - it's just that Dorset CC are taking the revenue risk.

Dorset CC used to operate Versas and Solos up until c.2018. They are now with South West Coaches though I think one Solo was gifted to Beaminster Town Council - it operates the Saturday CB3.

 

[AwkwardHail]

• 50: Bournemouth - Swanage (temporarily suspended due to closure of Sandbanks Ferry)

Just to be clear, there is still service on this section, just diverted (and with different route numbers).

 

[PTR 444]

Just to be clear, there is still service on this section, just diverted (and with different route numbers).

I understand that. Just that this route has been temporarily renumbered to X50 and reduced to a 2-hourly frequency as it has to run via Poole.