BUS chiefs are changing routes and timetables from the start of next month.

Bluestar is altering some of its services from Sunday, November 4 in a bid to save costs.

Management blames the rising cost of fuel and other operating costs and said they need to make changes to preserve some of their services which carry very low numbers of passengers.

Bosses added that the changes would improve some services, in terms of the number of buses and their reliability.

The new timetables will mainly affect routes in the Marchwood, Rushington, Hythe, Langley, Fawley, Totton, Cadnam and Lymington areas.

Bluestar operations director Ed Wills, said: “A large percentage of bus users will not be affected, in fact they will see improvements to the timetable and many commuters will find they have more buses to choose from each hour.

“We hope that the improvements will encourage more people to use our more convenient services and we have been very careful not to isolate the few areas where routes are to change as there will be another service from which to choose.

Don Harper, secretary of the Southampton Pensioners’ Forum, broadly welcomed the changes.

He said: “The T3 and T4 service will enable pensioners in outlying villages access Totton and then Southampton.

“The new Sunday service from Calshot will be a great help to people who wish to visit relatives in the general hospital.

“The extending of the Bluestar 3 should be good for Boorley Green residents, but I am aware that the one-hour frequency of the service is not liked by users.”

The company will be hosting information roadshows in Hythe, Totton and Southampton city centre to provide advice and information to travellers.

 

TIMETABLE CHANGES

Key changes are to Bluestar 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 10, 11 and 12 while some routes have been extended and changed.

Bluestar 3 will be extended to Boorley Green and will no longer serve Kings Corner in Botley.

The route between Southampton and Bitterne will be revised and will now run via Woolston link road and Peartree Avenue. The service will then follow its existing route to Botley High Street and then turn onto Winchester Street before continuing onto Boorley Green, Maddoxford Lane and terminating at Oatlands Road.

Bluestar 8 will now run up to every half an hour between Southampton and Hythe on Monday to Saturday daytimes.

The service will be extended hourly beyond Hythe, to Holbury, Blackfield, Fawley and Calshot beach to replace service H3.

There will be a new hourly Sunday daytime service between Calshot and Southampton with additional Monday to Saturday evening journeys between Southampton and Marchwood.

Existing Bluestar services 10 and 11 between Cadnam and Totton will be replaced with a T3/T4 service providing a circular route around Totton, West Totton, Calmore, Tatchbury Mount, Woodlands, Bartley and Cadnam.

Additional reporting by Luke Tugby