£7.4m scheme to fit free Wi-Fi on buses (From Daily Echo)
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£7.4m scheme to fit free Wi-Fi on buses in Hampshire
3:20pm Thursday 9th August 2012 in Travel
£7.4m scheme to fit free Wi-Fi on buses
HUNDREDS of buses in south Hampshire are being fitted with free wireless Internet this month under a £7.4m scheme to boost the local economy and cut emissions.
Passengers with Internet-enabled smartphones, tablets or laptop computers will be able to read emails, shop online, or catch-up with work as they travel.
Wi-Fi is being fitted to the majority of buses in Southampton , Eastleigh , Winchester , Test Valley, Eastleigh and the New Forest by the end of the month.
They include First, Stagecoach South, UniLink, Bluestar , Wilts and Dorset, and Black Velvet buses.
As previously reported, the Department of Transport has awarded £4.5m towards the scheme after a joint bid by Southampton, Portsmouth and Hampshire councils.
The council partnership, called Transport for South Hampshire, aims to improve the quality of bus travel in the county, increase bus usage by eight per cent to cut congestion, and reduce carbon emissions by 4,205 tonnes. Bus companies are putting £2.1m into the scheme.
Chairman of Transport for South Hampshire, councillor Mel Kendal, said free Wi-Fi was one of a range of initiatives being worked on with bus operators.
He said improved bus travel would help to reduce congestion and grow the local economy.
Councillor Asa Thorpe, Southampton City Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “As if the environmental argument for public transport wasn’t compelling enough, now passengers can use local buses as a mobile office while they travel.
“This new service should lead to a good uptake of people wanting to travel smarter and take the bus in Southampton and across Hampshire.”
Nearly 140 buses will be refurbished under the scheme with new upholstery, 500 will get display screens showing the next stops and new LED lighting, and Smartphone apps giving bus timetable information will also be launched.
Comments(37)
Boatman
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3:38pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Dresnez
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3:41pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo
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3:54pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Boatman
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3:56pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:Still taxpayers' money the Secretary of State is not paying for it out of his own pocket! What contribution will this make to reducing the budget deficit?
You guys really didn't read the article did you? The scheme was won and is being funded by the Department of Transport. Can't you just accept a good thing and be done with it?
Dresnez
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3:59pm Thu 9 Aug 12
The conservatives the party of low taxation.
Lone Ranger.
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4:00pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Boatman wrote:Budget deficit ???????
mtdiablo wrote:Still taxpayers' money the Secretary of State is not paying for it out of his own pocket! What contribution will this make to reducing the budget deficit?
You guys really didn't read the article did you? The scheme was won and is being funded by the Department of Transport. Can't you just accept a good thing and be done with it?
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Dont worry about that .... we are borrowing RECORD amounts which will help ensure that this Government will add even more years of debt to this country
mtdiablo
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4:02pm Thu 9 Aug 12
ajw1986
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4:08pm Thu 9 Aug 12
cantthinkofone
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4:08pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:What? Where exactly do you think the Department of Transport money comes from?!?
You guys really didn't read the article did you? The scheme was won and is being funded by the Department of Transport. Can't you just accept a good thing and be done with it?
Blimey... spEak You're bRanes medal contender there.
mtdiablo
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4:10pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Ginger_cyclist
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4:15pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:I remember this from when it was on the history channel once, instead of trying to stop people spending in the great depression, they encouraged them to spend.
Why do we NEED to reduce the budget deficit? We SHOULD be increasing spending, as that is the only proven way to get out of a depression like the one we have in. Did you learn nothing from the Great Depression? FDR's massive spending (admittedly partly thanks to WW2) pulled America from the brink. Investing in our infrastructure is exactly what the government should be doing. The current craze of deficit reduction is causing more problems than it's solving.
userds5050
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4:19pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:I think the Department of Transport would be better off "improving transport" by subsidising fares rather than installing free wifi IMHO. Most folk with smart phones already have a data allowance and I've yet to see someone with their laptop or iPad out on the bus. If you seriously feel this is the best way the DoT can spend their money to improve services then good luck to you.
That wasn't my point. The Department of Transport allocates funds for (shock!) improving transport. They're not wasting it by this are they? In fact, they're doing exactly what they're meant to do.
mtdiablo
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4:23pm Thu 9 Aug 12
And just FIY, my dad is one of many who uses a tablet on a bus. If there wasn't a market they wouldn't do it.
localnews
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4:25pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Dresnez
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4:58pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Pavements down my street are all up and down and is a pain to walk up and down on if you have hip or knee problems, have a pram, and is a trip hazard.
Just because you have a budget does not mean you should spend it all for the sake of it and I object to subsidizing yet more private enterprise, something the tories are very good at, syphoning tax payers money into private concerns.
I do agree we ought to be investing in the infrastructure but not into private business for something that is hardly a necessity. How many other stupid schemes do they waste our money on? Is this why we have a largest deficit in 15 years? http://www.bbc.co.uk
/news/business-19194
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Ginger_cyclist
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5:20pm Thu 9 Aug 12
userds5050
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5:35pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:Are you sure he didn't say he takes his tablets on the bus?
I didn't say anything about this being the best way the DoT can spend their money. It's just one way. That's been allocated to them by our elected government. I wouldn't be surprised if they're looking at other ways. This scheme is a good thing and will improve the busses.
And just FIY, my dad is one of many who uses a tablet on a bus. If there wasn't a market they wouldn't do it.
Northamboy
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7:10pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Markmag
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7:56pm Thu 9 Aug 12
Paramjit Bahia
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8:34pm Thu 9 Aug 12
This scheme is clever way of pushing public money into private enterprise.
Lord Ikea
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9:16pm Thu 9 Aug 12
derek james
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10:04pm Thu 9 Aug 12
CookieCutter2
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10:35pm Thu 9 Aug 12
solomum
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11:09pm Thu 9 Aug 12
mtdiablo wrote:You really didn't read the article did you? Bus companies are putting 2.1million into the scheme. That money would be much better used on improving the service. Start by employing friendly bus drivers and increase some of the services to include at least early evenings and sundays.
You guys really didn't read the article did you? The scheme was won and is being funded by the Department of Transport. Can't you just accept a good thing and be done with it?
bigal007
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6:34am Fri 10 Aug 12
userds5050
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6:58am Fri 10 Aug 12
bigal007 wrote:You wait for wifi on the bus and then three come along. Typical.
blue star bus have it on there buses and they are better drivers than first they are more happy and say thank you unlike first bus
bigal007
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7:10am Fri 10 Aug 12
Ginger_cyclist
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9:34am Fri 10 Aug 12
bigal007 wrote:All of them apart from blue star should do that though they could do with making the free shuttle bus that goes between the station and the docks bigger and more regular, no matter what time it is, when I see it, people are packed onto it like sardines but all their other buses are fine, I don't always go to town by bus but when I do, it's always a bluestar Mercedes.
why dont they spend the money on getting new busses as the onces in southampton are so bad
Chris8160
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9:45am Fri 10 Aug 12
Huffter
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10:31am Fri 10 Aug 12
Might SS
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10:49am Fri 10 Aug 12
Shoong
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1:29pm Fri 10 Aug 12
Might SS wrote:Yeh, yeh, when it comes to the crunch you're jumping in that car everytime.
what we need is cleaner and cheaper buses - not the ability to use Wi-fi on a 10 minute bus ride. Clean the insides, bring down the prices and maybe I'll not use the car to get around which is now cheaper than the bus !!
Zeo
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2:28pm Fri 10 Aug 12
Ginger_cyclist
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4:12pm Fri 10 Aug 12
Zeo wrote:I hope that's sarcasm and not being serious, if you're serious then you need some help.
Rolling Wi-Fi spots for me in my car, my trip through Shirley and town every morning will be fun with out having to sit on the bus!!!
bazzeroz
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4:20pm Fri 10 Aug 12
mikeynevitt
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8:30pm Tue 14 Aug 12
The scheme is not JUST to fit Wi-Fi to buses across South Hampshire, it is also being spent to refurbish buses, add 'next stop' screens and spoken audio, fitting LED lights which are brighter and kinder to the environment and creating smartphone apps to encourage more people to use public transport.
This scheme will mean BRAND NEW interiors of buses that will be completely clean. It will make bus travel a much more pleasant experience for all.
This isn't a waste of money, it is an investment to encourage more people to use buses in our area which will cut pollution and traffic delays (everyone moans about traffic in Southampton - try using the bus now!)
It's a shame that the Echo only put these points at the end of the article causing people to fire up and post angry comments without getting all of the facts first. Very misleading as this money is not just being spent on Wi-Fi - it's an added bonus.
wizard says...
3:34pm Thu 9 Aug 12