29 November 2022

Southampton gets the Blues by Losing the Reds

I know its out side of our area but this notice has appeared from First Hampshire & Dorset, which is now part of the same First South region as First South West:

Southampton

So Go South Coast get to take on the work of a major competitor once again having taken on a lot more work following the collapse of Bournemouth a short while back.

I am sure that this will be just the first of several  “restructures” in the new year as the bigger groups seek to consolidate their operations to ensure profitability, which will some areas changing operators. You have to wonder where next really?

It is very clear that there is little interest from the main groups in competition these days, and that could be a good thing. Personally I would like to see the Cornwall way of doing things (as far as having joint fares and tickets across the operators at least). Plymouth is one of those places that is crying out for joint tickets. There may not be much competition between Citybus and Stagecoach in terms of route corridors but there is nothing more annoying that waiting for a bus and having to let the other operators bus go by as your ticket is for the other one.

I used to ask the same question each year – what are your predictions for next year? Maybe this is worth asking again this year….



21 comments:

  1. that's not really too surprising if i'm honest, GSC have such a large market share in that region. I believe Stagecoach will hand over their South West operations to First. I don't think they're doing very well at all, unless of course Marc & co in Kernow don't believe that Devon is attractive enough - then Citybus would take on all of those routes.

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    1. Note that Marc Huws is stepping down shortly. Can't see him being involved in any significant long-term decisions.

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    2. Yes anon 29 Nov 21:44 but to First, are you sure? Can see First South cutting back further!

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    3. Could see First taking over in Devon from Stagecoach perhaps but off loading parts of Somerset (Yeovil)and Dorset

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  2. This is the start I suspect of a lot of mergers & shutting down parts of the bus business for lots of groups. I fear First bus will scale it's operations right back even further than before due to the cost of fuel and salaries, mixed with little passenger income. Stagecoach are another one to watch, how long before the 2 and 22 in Devon get remerged back into the 85/85A from 2004?

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    1. I agree. I don't think people appreciate just how much trouble the bus industry is in right now.

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    2. Yes James, would be better restoring direct Exeter-Torquay links into the bargain, although Dawlish Warren may lose out!

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  3. I do wonder about the future of First's Dorset and South Somerset operation now. The Dorset services at least would be a good extension of Go-Ahead's More Bus area or could become part of its Damory subsidiary which already has routes in the area.

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  4. Given that First have retreated from rural and semi rural areas in other parts of the UK, I would suggest that it would be unlikely that the company would wish to take on North Devon again and suspect that Exeter and Torbay operations are not attractive enough.

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    1. Not to First but GSW seems keen to expand (SC in Devon) whilst First Wessex may suit GSC possibly?

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    2. Why would Stagecoach even sell? They've just announced a multi million pound investment in Torbay with 20ish brand new double deckers they don't intend to leave there any time soon.

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  5. I agree that Stagecoach are not likely to sell up. But just because they are buying new buses doesn't mean they won't! Those new buses can be moved to any part of the country at a moments notice. First have invested in newer buses for Southampton fairly recently and introduced the new livery, none of which stopped them pulling out.

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    1. First & Stagecoach are two completely different companies as we well know. The Southampton network at First has been cut back and cut back from what was originally there. Stagecoach on the other hand have massively grown the network since 1996, Torbay & Exeter make money. I've read on the traffic commissioners report Stagecoach will be doing two weekends free bus travel across Exeter this month at the cost of over £120,000. https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/stagecoach-ordered-offer-free-travel-7841455

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    2. Stagecoach are actually in a worse position compared to First if honest. Their reputation lately with all the investigations regarding service levels, crashes etc. While you're right about them increasing services in Exeter, how long before more issues get brought to light. I think SC SW are in a rather precarious situation and need a serious reshuffle - that being said, i believe they now have a new Manager from SC in Scotland? First will make commercially viable ideas work - the Southampton thing has been coming for a while - even though they tried to rebrand, it didn't work out for them

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  6. Yes new MD starts Monday 4. It hasn't increased services in Exeter at all (look at frequencies cut, some marginally increased again recently but not to former levels by far - 57 still halved!), rather has massively reduced its Exeter PVR to match driver shortages (certain routes such as 4A to airport are more frequent but the 56 & RED Honiton Road P+R were axed as part of it).

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    1. Service 4/4a replaced the Red Park & Ride for the most part. To be honest apart from Woodbury nobody used the 56 apart from getting to the Airport or Honiton Road anyway, making it more frequent to the airport is a big improvement that should have happened years ago. Certainly would have made my life easier having to use it to commute between the Airport & St David's every day.

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    2. James the 56 was doubled to the airport from St Davids, I used it, but it was cut again to hourly due to the driver shortages. Passengers on the 4/4A to the park and ride complain all the time as it doesn't serve the car park on the return but drops them further up the road on the wrong side by the pub whilst going to town some have already been full from Cranbrook & nearby distribution warehouses so 4/4A not ideal for encouraging use of park and ride sites (same in Plymouth with George Junction dedicated faster 101 buses totally withdrawn now).

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    3. The 56 was half hourly but not all the time. The 4A is every 20 minutes so instead of two buses an hour you've now got three. It's only Honiton Road has been axed, Green P&R ride still carries on between Sowton & Matford.

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  7. What has Stagecoach South West got to do with First South Limited pulling their routes out of southampton.

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  8. For those interested, Bluestar have published on their website their plans to take over First's City Red routes. In summary, they are taking over all bar two of the City red routes; the remaining two re duplicted almsot exactly by existing Bluestar routes.

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    1. That is similar to what Morebus (fellow Go South Coast subsidiary) did in Bournemouth. Took over most of the Yellow Buses routes but not some where there was already a substantial Morebus presence (e.g. route 3 duplicated entirely by Morebus m1 so not taken on).

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