A number of bus services in Bournemouth and surrounding areas are set to change to provide an improved service for residents and visitors.
In partnership with all local bus operators, the Council has reviewed and improved its bus services in several areas of the borough in order to provide the most effective and efficient service coverage.
The improvements include the introduction of some new routes provided on an experimental basis to assess the popularity of the services.
Councillor Robert Lawton, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport said: “We’ve made significant improvements to ensure buses are available where demand is high. Unfortunately there will be some areas of Bournemouth where buses are being withdrawn but we have made every effort to provide alternative arrangements where possible to minimise any inconvenience.”
He added: “We received a number of requests for additional routes in the borough and although we cannot accommodate all requests, by trialling some additional routes over the next six months we can monitor how successful they are and assess whether they should continue dependent on the demand from the public.”
The service changes will take place over the May bank holiday weekend with most changes coming into effect on Sunday 25 May 2008.
Bus route changes will include the following:
With the support of council funding a new evening and Sunday service between BournemouthHospital and Kinson – Transdev Yellow Buses route 2b.
New Council supported service for Littledown area - experimental new 39 route. This route will provide direct links to BournemouthHospital, Littledown, Boscombe and Bournemouth Town Centre. All other existing services have been withdrawn as they are not commercially viable
6 Series routes – Transdev Yellow Buses – Wallisdown Road corridor. The Council will continue support for daytime routes to the Canford Avenue and TurbaryPark areas of Wallisdown and Kinson. An enhanced service will be provided with the addition of tendered and commercial services providing a daytime 15 minute service Monday to Friday
New all night services introduced on Wilts and Dorset ‘More’ services.
An all night service will be trialed until December, operating on Friday and Saturday nights between Bournemouth and Westbourne, Parkstone, Poole, Charminster, Boscombe and Iford
Additional buses for Throop, QueensPark and Boscombe Pier - route 41.
The council supported route, which previously operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, will now operate every weekday from Monday to Friday and transfer operation to Shamrock Buses
Changes to School buses for Avonbourne and Portchester. Several school bus routes operated by Shamrock Buses under contract to Bournemouth Council will change slightly to provide easier journeys to and from school for pupils who may be affected by changes to other routes
Regrettably Council support for one very early morning journey on Wilts and Dorset operated route 6a will end. Use is very low and the costs used to fund this route will benefit far more passengers on other new tendered services.
Further initiatives to improve services are being planned with all the bus operators and more information will be available later in the year.
Full details of these changes will be available in the new timetables available shortly. Full details of council’s supported routes will be available in due course on http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/localtravel.