A further two years later at North End Junction, Portsmouth. practice but does state “Times are at……” Surely a better system
should be provided for passengers if the bus is to be given
We are now entering the fourth round of observing buses in our credibility? The five buses on the route were 41136/7, 41165 which were part of First main London fleet and 41634/46 which originated
communities and begin to get a comprehensive picture of changes and trends since 2002. The 2006 report at North End concluded with with London Buslines
this sentence; “Now what might happen in the next two years?” Since the last survey Portsmouth supported First routes 12, 24 and
North End has proved a good venue to see changes dramatically. 60A as well as Stagecoach’s 22 and 38 have all been withdrawn.
2006 saw Scania OmniCities and Tridents. 2009 has seen the That has taken away ten journeys through North End, most of which
Enviro300, and a dramatic reduction of minibuses largely because no were formerly minibuses and in the process the Iveco, so long part of the south Hampshire scene has been eliminated. The replace-
contracted buses carry passengers through the junction. ment along Stubbington Avenue for route 12 was an hourly route 4
The most dramatic change has been the introduction of ADL from Stamshaw to Portsmouth College in June 2007. A year or so later the 4 was withdrawn, with the majority of the route being
Enviro300s to the 23 route from Southsea to Leigh Park. Most buses of this size for Stagecoach are on the M.A.N chassis with the covered by extending a Southsea local route 19 through to North
revamped Enviro 300 being a surprise order for 2008. Since these End and terminating just east of the junction in Stubbington
buses have been operating on the route, no other vehicle has been Avenue. Recently acquired V registered Mercedes minibus with Marshall bodywork 52583 V433GTW which originated in Essex
seen operating on it. It was made even more surprising given that we had been expecting new First buses on the 40/41 routes through arrived on the 19. The bus has dual purpose seating. Although the
Waterlooville for several months and still are, whilst the Enviros timetable foresees a turn around return journey, the Mercedes
seemed a bolt from the blue! The replaced buses from the 23 were X moved off towards the depot. The departing service was 51727, P727KCR a Mercedes 709D with Beaver coachwork which arrived
registered SPD Darts, which in themselves would not have improved the age profile from autumn 2006, but for the withdrawal of several from the direction of the depot and departed seven minutes behind
minibus operated services which we will unravel. schedule.
The round Portsea Island route 1/1A saw ten buses in 2006, but There were 11 buses on Stagecoach’s route 23 which operate every
journey withdrawals have reduced the expectation to eight today. ten minutes. All were the new AD Enviro 300s which had been in
This very long route still produces variety with 2009’s offering service just two months – that’s 1% of the time that First’s “new” buses –the Volvos from South Yorkshire- have served. For the record
comprising two SLF Darts 42118/21 and three ex Southampton step Darts 46314/7, the latter going to Paulsgrove and back within the they were 27553-5/8/60/1/3/6/8-70.
hour, and the oldest bus of the day, another Pointer but with body
built by Reebur, from whom the model evolved. This was the oldest Available for the 40 and 41 routes to Waterlooville and beyond are 20 Scania Omincities, now four years old and two S registered Volvo
bus of the day 46010 H308DRV. The sixth bus is a newcomer to the area. Alexander PS bodied Volvo B10Ms are attractive vehicles (in B10BLEs all based at Hilsea. The timings expect 16 buses in the hour
the author’s opinion) and the model is the mainstay of Stagecoach’s and all sixteen were Omnicities, which are mainly route branded. The 41 uses the A3 bus priority scheme on its way to Clanfield with
large saloons. A considerable number of this model entered service in South Yorkshire before First settled there and now 18 years later the 40 going east and then west of the A3 after leaving Portsmouth
a few have arrived on the south coast in turn ousting the Leyland boundaries. Of the batch 65006-25, only 65006/12/9/25 were not
Lynx. One of the buses has subsequently been seen on First premier seen in the hour on these routes, although 65025 came through a few minutes later. Highlights of these buses were 65021 with 40
17/18 route. The bus on the 1 to Paulsgrove on 23 January was 60529 H687THL. The eighth journey, a north bound one, did not pass branding running the 41, 65016 was carrying a lower rear
through the junction in the survey time. advertisement which is unusual for these vehicles and 65009 which came south carrying several passengers, but displaying not in
Equal variety was to be found on route 3 from Southsea to service – the bus was included in the statistics as it was assumed to
Paulsgrove. Since 2006 the service has reduced from every 15 be running a 41. This practice underlines the procession of buses
minutes to every 20 but only two buses passed through in each through to the city centre from North End, most of which have run from Cosham. 21 buses an hour make this common journey,
direction. The four vehicles were a Volvo B10M ex South Yorkshire 60521 H679THL, a former London Marshall bodied SLF dart 41166 eighteen of them running from Cosham and via Lake Road, a total
which was recently at Southampton and has a distinctive black journey time of 25 minutes, which is extended to forty minutes for
surround to the destination screen, a UVG bodied step Dart 47301 the fourteen buses which progressed onward to South Parade Pier on Southsea sea front.
and a Beaver bodied Mercedes 709D 51712! The latter two were new to Hoeford. In practice only four buses were seen on this route
rather than the eight of the last survey. No wonder we lost 21 buses There is a with flow hourly service from South Downs college (40C) to Portsmouth which at this time of day runs every thirty/ thirty
since 2006! Leyland Nationals were on this route when the first survey took place in 2002. five minutes. In 2006 the bus used was an Iveco minibus but now
full-sized buses from Hoeford are used. It seems that on reaching
Route 6 is a regular haunt for former London Marshall bodied low Portsmouth City Centre buses return to the college not is service via the M275. Former South Yorkshire B10BLE 66204 was seen in
floor Darts and on this occasion all the buses were of this sort. The first journey south was missing. The route is the only one to serve the survey hour, being reunited with its former Volvo and Sheffield
Gladys Avenue, passing the site of the former PCCTD depot. In the colleagues mentioned above. Unfortunately the double decker on
last three months the route has been changed with alternate the service (a real First rarity) went through North End at 1457 and 1602, on time on both occasions!
journeys not proceeding to Tipner but run to Hilsea Depot via Northern Parade as route 6A and provides a link from the latter to
North End. This route illustrates a ridiculous situation regarding The Eastney to Warsash 57 route of 2006 now runs only from Portsmouth City centre to Warsash. The former London Wright
First’s use of timetables. At the foot of Gladys Avenue a few metres from North End junction is a southbound stop for routes 6/6A. In the bodied Dennis Darts of 2006 became 47015 N615DWY which was a
survey hour buses were due to leave this stop at 1507, 1521, 1537 stock vehicle with Hughes DAF dealers and first used by Booth and
and 1551. Across the mini roundabout, less than 100 metres further Wright of Rainham, Kent prior to acquisition by Southampton Citybus shortly after, and a Mercedes 709 51712 N712GRV, Two
on, is another stop in London Road. Buses leave this stop at 1515, 1530, 1545 and 1600. However the buses do not layover for seven or thirteen years old buses for this long route!
eight minutes. The times displayed at the first stop are those at
which the bus departs Hilsea or Tipner, hence the uneven times! Although Stagecoach’s 700 Brighton route now has ALX 400 bodied Tridents only three of the four buses (18511/18/22) were of this
However the stop does not state that these are times at Hilsea/ Tipner. Consequently any passenger will have to “wait” eight on type whilst the fourth was a former Hong Kong Pointer SLF Dart
nine minutes before being able to board. No wonder the company is 33029 P299AYJ, which moved from Aldershot to Portsmouth
criticised for late bus running! This is a common practice throughout recently to replace Volvo B6BLEs. From the destination of Portsmouth with other instances probably being longer than eight or Chichester it would appear that this bus was probably going no
nine minutes. It should be stated that Stagecoach adopts a similar further east. The first bus through North End after the hour was
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12