A
nother two years later at Commercial each direction, the original 13 Milton service having been 10 minutes. This has saved one bus but still prompts the question as
R oad Portsmouth to whether this route is the most frequent in Britain to be
operated by step entrance minibuses? The route, which takes abut 40 minutes to circumnavigate, provided ten of arrival/departures
W e return to Portsmouth city centre for the third time. In 2006 it and eight different vehicles as occasionally one was swapped over
w as reported that significant traffic management changes were with buses from the Denmead service which theoretically has a 30
b eing made, resulting in the elimination of the permanent traffic minute layover in the city centre
signals, a 20mph speed limit and a narrowing of the pavements as
P ortsmouth City Council seek to unite the commercial area with the
G uildhall. An imminent plan in 2008 will result in the Buses on the 13/14 were 51281M281UYD an Alexander Sprint
p bodied Mercedes 709D which originated with Southern National edestrianisation of Commercial Road South with all buses being
rerouted via Stanhope Street. The current financial situation will (Alexander bodied minibus are unusual within First); 51583
p robably not affect the proposal and already bus boarders have been N883HWS a Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes 709D with just 22
b uilt and bus stop street markings have been installed on adjacent seats which originated with First in Bristol; 51727/9 P727/9KCR 27
r seater Plaxton Beaver bodied Mercedes 709D and Mercedes Varios oads to the central area. Perhaps 2010’s survey will be easier as
buses will only approach from three directions rather then four. 0814 5260l/2 R501/2NPR also from Southern National. 52513
P ossibly that comment is typical in that my gain will be tempered by S513RWP with originated in Worcestershire and recently
t he displaced passengers’ relocation to more exposed streets. Is that transferred from First Essex 5258l V431GTW. The latter bus has
h Marshall Master bodywork with high backed seats – the other ow planners see things? Varios are Beaver 2s.
T he statistics show a small drop in the number of buses passing
t hrough in 2008. There has been a shake up in some of the Route 15 is an hourly Portsmouth city sponsored service which
s ubsidised routes and some frequency variations, but not always a leaves Eastney at the Hayling Ferry and circles the city area
w before heading through very densely populated areas of north and orsening. The average age of the buses has crept up to 9 years one
month, but new buses due later this year should make some central Southsea, areas which in a ideal world would provide
im provement. When first surveyed in 2004 the average age was just exceptional heavy passengers loadings. Former Southern National
5 years 9 months! Vario 52605 R605NPR was the 2008 offering for this route, which similar subsidised route 16 serving Eastney was operated by Vario
50303 S409GUB. This bus came from West Yorkshire. W
e will look at the services and vehicles in route number order. First operate the routes except where detailed.
The prime Portsmouth bus routes 17/18 to Milton and Eastney have had their combined frequency reduced to every ten minutes
T he round Portsea Island service now 1, 1A and 1C runs from in each direction rather than the 7/8 minutes of 2006. It remains
F areham or Paulsgrove to and from Paulsgrove via Portsea Island on predominately operated by Volvo B10BLEs with Wrights bodies,
a 15 minute frequency each way. Timekeeping is a major problem on exclusively so in this survey hour. In 2006 there should have been
this route with total single journey time on the 1A of two hours, 32 journeys passing through the junction during but only 23 were
s imilar to the train from London to Brussels! This route is recorded. In 2008 there should have been 24 but 25 passed
e xceptionally long and would be a worthwhile candidate for through! Eleven Buses were seen 66151/61/3 S registered,
s plitting. The seven buses passing through on this service in the hour 66164/76/81 which are W registered and 66198/201/2/4/5 which
on 16 September (an 8th was not forthcoming) were SLF Pointer Darts are S registered and were new to Mainline in South Yorkshire.
4 0824 R644DUS, which was new to Glasgow, and 42113/20: Northern
C ounties Paladin 40265 N633CDB which has only been in the locality
f Route 19 combines the parts of the former 7a, 27 and 12, on a 50 or a short time and hailed from Manchester; Provincial’s own UVG
bodied step Darts 47301/2 and one Wright Renown bodied Volvo minutes round Portsmouth hourly service. N registered Beaver
B 10BLE 66197 which originated in Sheffield. Three great cities bodied 51718 took the journey during the survey.
r epresented on one route!
Although Stagecoach route 22 was not seen in 2006 because it had M become a two hourly service it has now been withdrawn
issing from past years were Wright Handybus Darts and the Leyland Lynx, although both types remain based locally but did not pass altogether as has the hourly route 38 to Liss Forest.
t hough in the survey hour. The low floor element creeps from two
o ut of six in 2004, three out of seven in 2006 and four out of seven Stagecoach route 21 is primarily operated by route branded “53”
in 2008. 47302 wears the faded livery which is fast disappearing registered Darts, now operating every 10 minutes and twelve
from First’s buses journeys duly passed through in the hour. In 2006 it was running
every 15 minutes so there were four more journeys and eight
R oute 5 runs from Fareham to Southsea via Stamshaw every 30 rather then six buses. Six of the 53 registered Darts were noted
m inutes. South bound buses did not pass the survey point in 2006 34411/45/8/9/51/3, as well as older Pointer Dart 34109 V109MVX
b and Alexander bodied Volvo B6BLE 31046. 34411 was new in ecause of road work so the observation produced four journeys
rather than two. The three buses seen two Volvo B10BLEs 66152/96 Winchester and has since been displaced there by the Enviros
a nd UVG bodied Dart 47307 which went to Southsea and returned described in an hour at from Winchester earlier this year. 31046
w ithin the hour. R196NPN was new to Hong Kong, It was one of ten at Havant, normally on the Waterlooville routes but half of the batch has
been replaced by former Hong Kong Pointer Darts which had spent P
ortsmouth supported services 7A and 27 to the south and east of several years in North Hampshire. 34109 was new to London Portsea Island have been withdrawn and replaced by route 19 (see having been again having been in North Hampshire for a few
b elow) whilst routes 12 and 60A has been truncated back to Cosham years.
– the 60A being renumbered and revamped . The reduction of
s ervices has led to an overall reduction in the number of minibuses
seen and demographic change bringing about the immigration of A ten minute frequency operates on Stagecoach route 23 which
V arios has eliminated the Iveco 59.12 from the local fleet along with runs from Southsea via Cosham and Havant to Leigh Park. A batch
M ellor bodywork and Blue Admiral originating buses. of SLF Pointer Darts was acquired for an up rating of this service in 2000 and these buses continue operations. They are registered
X953VAP etc Buses passing Commercial Road in the hour were
R outes 13 and 14 have been changed yet again from 2006 with two 33053/6/9/61/2/7/71. However, they were joined by 33407,
circular services being joined at the outer ends in eastern T905XCD a slightly shorter version and former Hong Kong 33032
Portsmouth and a frequency reduction to a uniform 15 minutes in P302AYJ, which is one of the number replacing Volvo B6BLEs.

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