The old number 10 bus service

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

Anybody else miss the old No 10 bus service from Bembridge to Newport going over the downs ? What a beautiful jouney and now its been scrapped. It only took about half and hour and the new No 8 service takes over twice as long.

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Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 316 Location: Carisbrooke

Profit before beauty is Vectis' new byword.

No doubt because the No 8 takes longer it is seen as more profitable, covering a larger area in the hope it will gain more passengers.

Their new regime of service cuts is also going to cut their throats.

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

Not only does it take longer but is always late due to the time it takes to get in and out of Newport and Sandown. We were over for 2 weeks in June staying in St Helens and I have to say that we have never stood around so long waiting for buses as we did those two weeks.
This is the trouble you get with companies that have a monopoly on services like SV has with the buses.

As holidaymakers we have never had any problems with SV before and in fact they offer a far superior service than the bus company in our area but it looks like that has now all changed.

Coming over again for a week in mid Sept and by then the new timetable will be in place and it already looks as though there have been more cuts to the service....we shall see !! Confused

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 316 Location: Carisbrooke

The Island is the perfect example that monopolies do nothing but harm to an economy. Whether it's public transport, the local press or supermarkets.

We sit back and let it happen. Back when SV were a fledgling company there were several bus operators all over the Island, there was 2 in the Carisbrooke area alone, and the outlying areas were taken up by the trains.
When everyone sold up to SV it was no doubt an ideal situation as the buses only had to cover main road routes, but over the years as the land that the railway occupied has been developed with housing, SV has had to veer of the beaten track more and more and create new routes.

In the last few years they were finally getting it together and they provided an half decent service, more frequent buses, later services to more or less all corners of the Island. The bubble has finally burst and there's going to be anarchy at the bus shelters before long.

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

And here's something else about the Number 8 service from Newport to Ryde.

Currently when the bus's reache St Helens alternate ones go to Ryde via tesco and the other to Ryde via Seaview. As from 05/09/2010 no buses will go via Tesco ! They will all go to Ryde via Seaview. This will mean that anyone living in Bembridge or St helens will have to first go to Ryde and then get the Number 3 back to Tesco and then, when finished will have to get the Number 3 back to Ryde and then the Number 8 to St Helens and Bembridge !! I hate to think how long this round trip will take but it is likely to take up best part of the morning and maybe longer if the connections don't work out right. Its a shambles.
I have just joined the SV forum on their website and have posted up this issue. Its a heavily moderated site and your posts have to be approved before they show but it will be interesting to see what they say.

http://www.islandbuses.info/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=5

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 316 Location: Carisbrooke

I think I'm banned from joining their forum I never receive the activating email from them.

On the Council forum I had a bit of a debate with a Southern Vectis representative who used to post quite regularly until I pitched in with the sort of stuff I've posted here. He then just vanished. I then found they had a forum on their site and thought I'd have a go there but they must have me down as a troublemaker as I can't get any reply from them at all.
I'll have to try and sign up on someone else's computer and see if they've banned my IP address.

Then again why bother like you say it's overly moderated.

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

I had to give them a nudge to activate my account but any forum that is heavily moderated is frustrating. You just have to open it up a bit and keep an eye on things. It would not bother me if someone posted abusive stuff here as long as it was taken down as soon as possible. You just have to take the chance.

SV are not all bad. Compared to the bus service in my area they are brilliant but then again I don't live on the island and have to put up with stuff week in and week out.
I am still waiting for them to publish my post about the No 8 service...its been over twenty four hours now !!

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

Had a mail back from SV about the Number 8 service and its true that there is now no direct route to Tesco from St Helens and Bembridge.

So, what used to be a quick hop to Tesco, 20minutes each way plus your shopping time has now become a nightmare journey. More so if you are elderly or have young children in tow. Here is an example of the jouney...

Depart Bembridge 09:13 ( No 8 sevice )
Arrive Ryde 09:51
Depart Ryde 10:00 ( No 3 Service )
Arrive Tesco 10:12

Jouney time approx 1 hour if all buses run on time. If the number 8 is late add another 30 minutes.

Depart Tesco 11:34 ( no 3 Service )
Arrive Ryde 11:50
Depart Ryde 11:53 ( no 8 Service )
Arrive Bembridge 12:23

Jouney time approx 50 mins but on this return jouney its a very tight change round at Ryde and realistically you have to look at getting the 12:53 which arrives back in Bembridge at 13:23. making a journey time of approx 1hr 50m.

So, if you are living in Bembridge and are planning a trip to Tesco on the bus your total journey time will be approx 2hrs 50min if you are lucky.

Come on SV, this is just not good enough. You have effectively cut people off from shopping at the largest supermarket on the island if they happen to live in Bembridge or St Helens.

SV have still not posted my comment on their forum about this issue !

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 316 Location: Carisbrooke

Simple answer

Shop local!

Robj · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 53

Yes you are right, that is an option and I am sure lots of people will do just that. We certainly will to some extent when we come over again in September. Having said that we always try and support the village shops when we can but the whole point here is the way in which SV have just cut these people off from Tesco.
I will give it a couple of days and then mail them about not posting my comments on their forum. Might even give them the link to this one.

Wonder if Tesco would run a private bus a couple of times a day Idea

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 316 Location: Carisbrooke

Tesco losing trade, oh what a bummer!!

Basically if SV's cuts force people to shop locally then bring it on, utopia is just round the corner.

SV is in dire straits, they aren't going to admit it, but the bubble has burst and their service as it stands is no longer sustainable.
Without repeating too much of what I've said in the other topic similar to this one, they need to downsize and flog off some routes.