New night buses that are set to launch in Southampton this weekend will give the city’s night-time economy a much-needed boost, according to a nightclub owner.
Bluestar has announced it will run services on its Bluestar 2, 17, and 18 routes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, alongside its existing Bluestar 1 and Unilink U1N night buses, which run on Friday and Saturday nights through to Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The new services will launch from Sunday.
Looking ahead to the launch of the night bus services in Southampton, owner of Café Parfait, Rich Gilbert, said: “The night-time economy in the city needs all the help it can get to boost its appeal to prospective customers.
“This will hopefully add an affordable method of travel for people to come into the city centre at night as well as it being a safe one.”
Bluestar passenger, Meghan Kashora, 47, added: “It’s good to have options and I think Bluestar do offer a lot of services.
“I’m at home most evenings but I think the night buses can only be a good thing.”
The implementation of the additional bus services has been made possible thanks to Bluestar’s partnership with Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council, with funding from the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, said: “We know there is high demand for these extra services here, and are excited to be driving forward our bid to make buses an even more attractive proposition for those who may otherwise choose to travel by car.
“Persuading local people to switch from car to bus is particularly vital in Southampton because it contributes to reduced congestion and improved air quality across the city.
“We’re excited to be introducing these night buses, which will provide important transport links for those working or socialising late.”
Talking more about the service, the general manager added: “Alongside the new services, we are making a number of other changes to our timetables, including increased frequency to every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday on our Bluestar 1 Southampton to Winchester route. Customers will also benefit from earlier morning journeys here.
“Bluestar 2 will run more frequently between 7.55am and 8.55am from Southampton, boosting capacity during this busy period. We are also introducing a whole host of reliability improvements for a number of our services. Our customers can find full details of these on our website.”
In a statement, Councillor Christie Lambert, Southampton City Council cabinet member for transport, said: “Using the Bus Grant Funding we are able to deliver on the vision of our Bus Service Improvement Plan to make buses in Southampton an attractive, accessible, affordable and convenient option for local people to get around.”
Share