A BITTER bus war has come to an end as two rival firms have joined forces for the benefit of their passengers.

Transport giant Bluestar and minnow Black Velvet will be teaming up to save a vital route for shoppers and workers.

The Eastleigh-based bus operators say their “pioneering partnership”

is the first of its kind in Hampshire.

Bluestar, owned by the huge Go-Ahead Group, had announced it was to cut its 3 service from Botley to Hedge End to once an hour.

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However at the last minute the company brokered a deal with its fiercest competitor.

Family-owned Velvet will now run its own once an hour A service filling in the time slot left.

Both companies have also agreed to accept competitor’s return journey tickets on this 20- minute route.

Velvet boss Phil Stockley said: “The bus war is over and I think both companies realise it is sensible to work together to get as many people on buses as possible and provide the best service we can.”

Bluestar operations manager Alex Hornby said: “This new partnership brings many benefits for customers, who are the reason for our existence. This shows what can be achieved when proactive bus operators work together.”

This new era of peace comes after a year of battles that sparked a series of Daily Echo exclusives which led to a top level investigation.

Velvet first clashed with their huge rival when they took up a route Bluestar had abandoned months earlier which ran through Velmore and Chilworth.

Bluestar responded by launching its Beep service on the same route three minutes ahead of Velvet with cut-price introductory fares.

The smaller company dropped the route claiming it had been “squeezed out” and accusing its giant opponent of “bully boy tactics”.

Weeks later Bluestar announced it was stopping the service and slammed Velvet for “muscling in”.

The battle then spilled onto the roads of Fair Oak where the same thing happened again with an Eastleigh shuttle service.

Bad blood existed from the start as Velvet chief Phil Stockley used to be a Bluestar boss and poached drivers and other staff when he left.

Both companies insist they are now looking to a positive working relationship in the future.

Eastleigh Borough Council worked with the firms to negotiate the deal.