Southern Vectis
Encyclopedia
The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight
. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group
in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast
division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches. All operations are operated from a central depot in Newport
and a number of much smaller outstations located around the Island.
April 2006 saw a simplified network and timetable, a rebranding of the company and a new livery of two shades of green. Subsidised fares were introduced in line with Government reforms to encourage more people to use the buses. In May 2006, Southern Vectis reported a 16% rise in passengers from May 2005.
The company runs 13 regular routes covering most of the island. School services are in place on designated routes run on a contract from the Isle of Wight Council,. Timetables are updated twice a year, sometimes more often, with a winter and summer timetable. The summer timetable includes open-top tours to cater for tourists.
, and became The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited.
The company had associations with Christopher Dodson, bus body builders in London. Therefore, all Vectis buses of the period had Dodson built bodies.
The company was nationalised in 1948, and became part of the National Bus Company
in 1969. Then in 1986 as a consequence of the Transport Act 1985
the business was privatised and purchased by its management with help from its employees, who formed Southern Vectis plc to buy the company.
Deregulation meant that other companies could register and run bus routes against previously nationalised bus companies; this was significant for Southern Vectis in two ways: the company which had a virtual monopoly on Island transport was exposed to competition from no less than five operators, and Southern Vectis itself expanded in 1987 with the creation of Badger Vectis
in Poole
, and Solent Blue Line
in Southampton
. Blue Line used older Southern Vectis buses and second hand double deckers, to compete with the dominant Southampton Citybus
on their most profitable routes.
The newly privatised Southern Vectis expanded its business into other areas on the island too, the company bought a self-drive van hire firm, A.B. Wadhams (Rentals) Ltd., and also 2 Ford Granada
taxis, which it ran from Cowes
Pontoon. The taxis both served as a new venture for the company, and a way to take on one of its then new competitors, Gange Taxis & Minicoaches, on their home turf. Taxibus services were also pioneered by Southern Vectis on the Island, where taxi firms were appointed to run rural routes which would otherwise not be served. However, Southern Vectis had relinquished its involvement in taxis all together by 1989.
Southern Vectis was one of the most aggressive bus firms upon deregulation, which can be seen from the company's restored monopoly on Isle of Wight bus services and the fact that their subsidiary Solent Blue Line
(now in the guise of Bluestar
) now holds a very powerful position in Southampton and Hampshire 23 years after its creation, alongside what remains of City Bus in First Hampshire & Dorset
.
In late 2002, Southern Vectis bought the first low-floor buses on the Isle of Wight, 7 Plaxton President
-bodied Volvo B7TL
s and a single Plaxton Mini Pointer bodied Dennis Dart
. 14 TransBus Mini Pointer Darts arrived in early 2005. This was later followed by an order for seven Mercedes-Benz Citaros in January 2007 to upgrade high-floor buses on route 9.
The company made national news in 2003 with the launch of a pink punishment school bus nicknamed 'The Pink Peril' designed to take badly-behaved students to and from school. The vehicle was the oldest in the fleet, an Iveco minibus fleet number 283. The scheme initially proved a success but was later scrapped.
In July 2005 Southern Vectis plc was acquired by the Go Ahead
bus and rail group. This acquisition brought with it both Southern Vectis and Hampshire subsidiary Solent Blue Line
. Southern Vectis' has been rebranded, though the name has remained, while Solent Blue Line has found itself rebranded Bluestar
. Since late 2005, Southern Vectis has shared its directors with mainland bus companies Bluestar, and Wilts & Dorset
, as part of Go Ahead's Go South Coast division.
One of the first actions taken under its new ownership was to establish a new network using Newport
as a central hub, with most routes linking to it. Although this involved axing major old routes such as the Island Explorer, it has largely proved a success. Within 18 months since April 2006 when the new network was introduced passenger numbers increased by 45%, with a 14% growth in fare-paying customers. This was one of the highest increases in the UK and continuing growth has since occurred. Seventeen Scania OmniCity
double-deckers arrived in July 2008 to replace older step entrance double-deck buses. Eleven more arrived in Easter 2009 making the entire standard "green" bus fleet low floor.
On 15 October 2009, Southern Vectis launched a car scrappage scheme, promoted with the website ScrapMyMotor.com. This incentivised Island residents to scrap their car for a year's Southern Vectis season ticket. Southern Vectis hopes that after a year customers will switch for a longer term.. The scheme is currently being marketed through rear bus advertisements. Due to the popularity of the scheme, it is thought that it will be mirrored by other Go-Ahead Group bus companies. Southern Vectis later announced that five vehicles had been scrapped within the first fortnight and the company had had around 6,000 enquiries about the programme. So far, the scheme has seen 75 vehicles scrapped including a horsebox, with a claimed carbon saving of 145 tonnes per annum.
From June 1, 1994, Southern Vectis plc was a shareholder in the Polish
bus company Kaliskie Line Autobus; Southern Vectis owned 18.38% of the company's shares. On 14 September 2010, Southern Vectis sold its share of the company to the majority shareholder, the City of Kalisz
, for £127,840 (600,000 PLN).
, which previously ran a number of largely uncompetitive routes alongside Southern Vectis, has been disbanded.
"Redlynx", Wiltax of Shanklin, Gange's Minicoaches and Moss Motor Tours
.
Both Island Travel and Gange's Minicoaches, which established routes between Cowes and Ryde, ceased running their bus services partially due to anti-competitive practices on the part of Southern Vectis. These included Southern Vectis using their relatively large resources to run vehicles immediately ahead of competing vehicles where the routes coincided with those of Southern Vectis, in a practise known as duplication. These tactics were by no means temporary, in the case of Gange's Minicoaches, they continued right until the firm ceased running their bus services two and a half years later.
Operators accused Southern Vectis of enlisting a "special squad" of drivers which went to such extreme measures as parking and wait for a competing bus to appear in the distance before immediately setting off in front to pick up whatever passengers were waiting at the stop. The squad tasked with running ahead of Gange's Minicoaches was termed the "Gangebusters" by staff.
Duplication tactics were seen again in 1991, Southern Vectis shadowed a county council contracted bus run by Norman Baker Taxis, and as a result the Council was forced to terminate the contract, or face being accused of wasting poll tax
payers' money.
Franchising was initially successful in Southern Vectis' mainland business, where the company franchised Solent Blue Line routes to Marchwood Motorways. However few found the offer tempting on the Island, as the influx of operators during this period was largely from those who wished to compete with Southern Vectis. Though, as it became clear to potential operators that competing with the newly independent Southern Vectis was a daunting and sometimes stressful task, operators began to approach the company looking to franchise.
Franchisees who took on routes from Southern Vectis included M-Travel, who took on the Newport Town Circular. The Traditional Bus Company & The Village Bus Company, who took on some of the open top routes including the Shanklin Pony. The last franchisee was The Alpha Group, which ran the Newport Town Circular after M-Travel's collapse. Since that time Southern Vectis have not franchised any routes to operators.
, the Island's main bus terminus as part of the deal. This caused numerous headaches for upstart competitors, who were refused access to what Southern Vectis considered their private land, but the public thought was the place all buses would be available from, regardless of which company they were operated by.
Southern Vectis' refusal to allow Gange's Minicoaches to use Newport bus station prompted an investigation in 1987 by the Office of Fair Trading
. The first time the deregulated bus industry had come under investigation from the OFT. The OFT report, published in 1988, found Southern Vectis' behaviour to be anti-competitive, preventing smaller bus operators from establishing awareness and competing effectively.
Southern Vectis was presented with an ultimatum following the report, either allow competitors to use the bus station, or face the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. The company decided that the former was preferable, and instated a programme by which competitors could use their station. Southern Vectis' relatively small competitors would have to fulfil "reasonable terms" to use the station, but they have never been properly defined, and were subject to further complaints from competitors.
The publication of this report meant that no bus company could keep competitors out of their bus stations, a result that resonated across Britain. On the Island Gange's Minicoaches was offered use of Stand F in Ryde bus station, and was also offered a stand in Newport bus station. However, Gange's did not find the charges set for either station agreeable, and continued to operate from the opposite side of Ryde bus station (part of the highway, so owned by the council) and the South Street bus stop in Newport, until their service was discontinued.
The current Newport bus station design includes a stand which is on the public highway, Stand F, meaning that Wightbus
who, prior to their discontinuation used the stand for all of their services, could use Newport bus station without paying any dues to Southern Vectis. In Ryde, Wightbus are used Stand G. All other stands were utilised by Southern Vectis exclusively.
's Wightbus
school services. These buses did the same job as the Wightbus services and ran at the same time, and Southern Vectis could still claim term ticket fees for the students getting onto their ghost services from the Council. Southern Vectis claimed to have contractual issues with the Council and wanted the contract to be "reworked" entirely.
From the start of the school term in September 2010, the vast majority of school buses are run by Southern Vectis under contract from the Isle of Wight Council. This was awarded as a closed contract for the whole school lift, meaning the general public can no longer use the services. The result of this is that Wightbus
no longer run any school routes, except for a handful of services for disabled children, leaving the council's bus and coach fleet largely redundant, along with many of the company's drivers. A knock on effect of this shift is that several Wightbus routes, including the St Lawrence-Shanklin Rail link
have been discontinued. The Isle of Wight Council has indicated that it intends to shut down Wightbus
in August 2011.
, running every 7–8 minutes. The most recent timetable came into operation on 4 September 2011.
Previously—30 September 2007 to 20 April 2008—buses ran 24-hour services all week to most island towns for the first time ever. This was a development project with a view to making them commercially viable but, with worries over the subsidies fares scheme, Southern Vectis decided they could no longer afford to operate these extra services.
Prior to the 24-hours services, night buses carried an 'N' prefix on each route number to show it was a night bus service, for example N1. This practice was not continued after the withdrawal of 24-hours services. Routes 8 and 38 also had a night service before the 24-hours scheme.
" brand, introduced in 2007 with orange and blue livery, replacing the orange and yellow "Open Top Tours" branding.
Open-top tours operated by the company include
As of April 2009, these tourist focussed services became ineligible for the Over 60's free bus scheme.
.
For the 2010 season, the Sandown road train was withdrawn and used only as a spare. September 25, 2010 was the last day for the Ryde roadtrain and the Shanklin roadtrain will operate until the end of October 2010. For the 2011 tourist season, talks are being held between the Council and Southern Vectis about replacement themed vehicle operations to be operated on a fully commercial basis. Decisions on what would replace the road trains are still in development but are likely to be something bus-based. The idea of a charabanc
service has also been brought up. The axing of the routes by the Isle of Wight Council has been subject to criticism, recently by Shanklin Town Councillor Chris Quirk who said the move was 'unnecessary'..In January 2011 the Dotto Trains were sold to a Welsh bidder in Llandudno who has plans to lease them back to anyone wanting to run a service on the island.
As of April 2011 the former Shanklin roadtrain route has now replaced with a bus route called "The Shanklin Steamer" using 625 from the bus fleet for the route after having a conversion. Due to 625 not being ready at this present time surplus buses are being used in the meantime.
The routes the roadtrains used to take are as follows.
Currently, the Southern Vectis coach unit is described by some as being at "arms-length"; its primary purpose has shifted over time, but is currently geared towards serving the Isle of Wight Council
school contract, as can be seen from the school bus vinyls affixed to most of the coach fleet.
In contrast with the company's bus fleet, the coach unit is largely made up from older coaches acquired from Go South Coast
's mainland operations, such as Tourist Coaches and Marchwood Motorways
, where the mainland coaching units have received a significant number of new coaches, many of their previous coaches have been transferred to the Southern Vectis fleet, and subsequently repainted.
In 2011, Southern Vectis purchased the name and coach assets of large former competitor Wightrollers, and added that to its other three fleet names, listed below.
Each of the 4 "fleetnames", with distinctive liveries appear to the public to be independent coach operators. However drivers wear Southern Vectis uniforms and most vehicles carry Southern Vectis legal lettering, fleet numbers, vehicle names and in most cases 'Go-Ahead' stickers, which breaks this illusion. Notably in 2009, the first 3 below "company" names were registered at Companies House
as their respective legal entities in Hertfordshire
. However the implications of this move are unclear.
The fleetnames used, with the exception of Island Coaster, are as follows.
and Alum Bay
, with two journeys each way, aimed at tourists. To avoid residents using it for local journeys, local fares are not available on this service. Passengers are recommended to buy the company's £10 all-day ticket, although the longer-period versions preferred by residents are also valid. From 15 March 2009, along with other seasonal Island Breezer
routes, no concessions were available on the route. The Island Coaster follows the route of 2 former services, the 12 from Ryde to Sandown
and the 7/7A from Sandown to Alum Bay.
The route serves attractions such as Freshwater Bay and Blackgang Chine
, linking them with Ventnor
, Shanklin
, Sandown
and Ryde
. To get between Blackgang Chine and Brook
near Brighstone
, the service uses the Military Road. Prior to the network revision in spring 2006, services had operated on this road under the Island Explorer name. As the new route was not introduced until summer 2007, there was no service along the road in the summer of 2006.
The 2008 service began on the 15 March, ahead of the main timetable change, with a number of amendments. The route number of "X40" was dropped (although still displayed on buses), leaving the service only with a name, similar to the open top tours, and the route no longer serves Bembridge
Coast Hotel or Sandown
Esplanade. The service was suspended for the winter at the end of 2 November, later than the previous year.
For the 2009 season the system of two departures within 30 minutes, matching the perceived flow of traffic to/from West Wight, is replaced. There is just one morning and one afternoon journey each way, one of which terminates or starts in Shanklin rather than Ryde. Most journeys on the route are extended from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth, although some no longer serve Alum Bay. Another change for 2009 is the introduction of coaches for the route, instead of using regular buses.
& Southern Vectis to start up a bus service based on the former Shanklin Road Train route was discussed. Thus the "Shanklin Steamer" was introduced the route covers such tourist destinations as Old Village,Shanklin Esplanade, Shanklin Chine
& Railway Station
. It is operated by a specially converted single deck bus.
service. Wightbus is proposed to shut down, partially as a result of this development.
In September 2009 Southern Vectis ran these coaches on bus routes registered with the traffic commissioner, and placed dedicated school bus stops along these routes, however the company has since cancelled these registered services and now runs the coaches entirely under a contract tendered by the council. Southern Vectis uses its coach brands, in particular Moss Motors on its school bus services.
From September 2008, foreign students were due to be educated in bus queuing etiquette after complaints from residents about being 'pushed away' while trying to board the bus. On 16 March 2008, a new school bus timetable came out with several new routes shadowing some of the Wightbus school routes, with some controversy. However, these routes were axed for the following school bus timetable on 3 September 2008.
The company takes part at events including the Isle of Wight Festival
and the Bestival
. Additional buses are brought to the island – usually fellow Go South Coast
buses – for the extra visitors. During the Isle of Wight Festival, extra shuttle services are run from Lymington to Yarmouth Wightlink
ferry terminal, from the Southampton
to East Cowes Red Funnel
ferry terminal, and from the Portsmouth
to Fishborne and Portsmouth to Ryde
Wightlink
ferry terminal and Fastcat passenger boat terminal, with a buses meeting every crossing.
An Open Top Christmas Lights Tour is run during December until early January every evening (excluding 24, 25 and 26 December). One of the company's 'Island Breezer' buses takes a route past the most illuminated houses. The route lasts for 2 hours and travels through Newport, Binstead, Brading, Newchurch and Godshill. For the 2008 tour, a stop at the Old World Tea Rooms in Godshill was added for a complimentary mince pie and hot drink.
The company ran the Sailbus during Cowes Week
in 2009. Since the start of the service, it has been operated by Wightbus
. However the lack of a sponsor for the 2009 event and the fact the Isle of Wight Council no longer run the Northwood House car park and receive no income from it, caused the council to reach agreement with Southern Vectis to run the service with a £1 a journey fare. However as the service had always been free in the past, few people were willing to start paying for the service. It was proposed that parking charges for Northwood House be increased during Cowes Week to help with running costs of the service however trustees of the house disagreed and the service did not run in 2010.
Average age of fleet (years):
VOSA PSV vehicle pass rate test:
Scheduled km operated buses:
Prior to 2006, Southern Vectis' timetable booklets showed their own buses, Island Line train services, ferry times, connecting mainland trains and complementary, non-competing routes offered by other bus operators, mainly Wightbus. These booklets were titled "Getting Around the Isle of Wight". However, when Southern Vectis introduced their revised network in 2006, all third-party timetables were removed. The Isle of Wight Council
began producing The Isle of Wight Public Transport Handbook which provided a new impartial source for this information, though this stopped being produced after Southern Vectis included the Wightbus timetables in their September 2010 timetable book.
In addition to timetables for the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis previously produced the Great Britain Bus Timetable. However, this ceased publication with the increasing availability of bus times on the internet.
The summer timetable normally consists of seasonal services such as the Island Coaster, the Island Breezers
open top tours and the Road Trains, so aren't shown in the table below, although the Medina Tour was withdrawn permanently after the 2009 season. Southern Vectis have previously charged for timetables, normally 50p, however since 1 October 2006, they were given away free in an attempt to increase awareness of bus times to potential passengers. Bus timetables are delivered to 97% of homes across the island. Timetables produced after the new network were given the title "Island Hopping", however from the 20 December 2009 this title was dropped with the timetable now titled simply as "Bus times for the Isle of Wight".
In June 2001, timetables appeared online. After the network change in April 2006 a timetable was added to each bus stop. With the new website in 2008, a text service was launched to allow passengers to find out when their next bus would be coming from bus stops across the island.
The 2008 winter timetable onwards have been printed on recycled paper to increase Southern Vectis' environmental credentials.
As well as this, routes are altered, changing the route the service takes or to increase frequency.
At each fare rise Rover and Freedom tickets are usually frozen, however these are already priced comparatively high as opposed to the firms sister companies; for example a one day 'Rover' ticket on Southern Vectis costs £10, whereas a 'Solent day rider' for the entirety of the Bluestar
network in Hampshire costs just £6.20, and an 'Explorer' pass that encompasses the entirety of the Bluestar
and Wilts & Dorset
networks is £7.50.
With the new network from April 2006, Southern Vectis amended many of their fares. Notably, the maximum single fare was capped at £4. This has remained in place despite general fare rises since.
Students under 19, in full time education on the Isle of Wight, received discounted fares under the Isle of Wight Council
's Student Rider scheme. The scheme initially offered any single journey for 50p. The popularity of the scheme led to sometimes steep increases in the Student Rider fare, from 50p to £1 in 2008 and then again up to £1.20 in 2010.
On the 16 November 2007, the Isle of Wight Council
proposed to cut the 76 per cent it pays for each concessionary fare down to 48 per cent. It said that if the current rate continued in 2008-09, the company would be making a huge profit. However Southern Vectis said it would leave them out of pocket by more than £1 million, and normal passenger fares could have to rise as much as 54 per cent. The cut was agreed by the Isle of Wight Council in November 2007 and, as a result of this, further rises to fares took place from 1 April 2008. The cost of concessionary travel in 2007 was £3 million; it was expected to rise to £5 million in 2008.
As a result, Southern Vectis announced that from the new timetables on 17 March 2008 almost all evening, Sunday and night buses would be axed, and some routes changed. More details about the service cuts emerged soon after. While night buses were cut, there have not been the level of reductions initially implied.
Another consequence was the withdrawal of routes 27, 28 and 29 from 1 September 2008. Originally run under tender to the council, when the over-60s bus pass scheme was introduced, more passengers were carried and Southern Vectis agreed to run them commercially. However, since the cut in subsidy, the services became unviable. The council is providing replacement services with Wightbus
routes 29, 30, 32 and 33.
In November 2008, Southern Vectis threatened that should the Council cut the concessionary fares reimbursement rate in 2009, it would withdraw from the Student Rider scheme. The company is already appealing to the Secretary of State against the original reduction from 76 per cent to 48.05 per cent of each concessionary fare. Southern Vectis stated that they will not continue to voluntarily participate, although the council can serve a compulsory notice for it to do so.
In 2009 the amount the Isle of Wight Council pays Southern Vectis was again reduced. The effect of this resulted in a reduction in the frequency of routes 4 and 5, some journeys removed from route 6, routes 14 and 16 combining and route 22 being withdrawn. This caused further problems as, with the additional running costs staff received no increase in pay for 2009, resulting in strike action on three days in September. Later cuts are being planned by reducing the frequency of route 9, amalgamating route 10 into route 8 and withdrawing route 11.
Due to the large shortfall in funding to support the scheme, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a review into the way funding was distributed by the end of the financial year of 2009. Previously, the government had indicated the earliest review would be in two years time. This later resulted in a promise of increased payments to support the scheme of around £890,000 for 2010. However, this will still leave a large shortfall and still remains unclear about how much of this funding will actually be passed onto Southern Vectis.
In July 2007, a poetry project, involving the printing of poems on buses and engraved poems on plaques at bus stops won the community award at the 2007 Arts and Business Awards.
Southern Vectis was shortlisted for an award in the mid-size UK bus operator of the Year category at the Route One Operator Excellence Awards held at the National Motorcycle Museum
.
Southern Vectis was 'Highly Commended' in the Royal Bank of Scotland
's Green Business Award, however lost out on winning to AJ Wells and Sons.
double deck buses the entire regular "green bus" service fleet is low floor. Single deck buses operated include 17 Dennis Dart
/Plaxton Pointer
MPDs and 2 Mercedes-Benz Citaros. Double deck buses they own include seven Volvo B7TL
/Plaxton President
s and 28 Scania OmniCity
s. The company's coaching fleet is now mostly made up of vehicles acquired from fellow Go South Coast
subsidiaries and even from Go-Ahead group member Go North East
. These are primarily used for transporting students to and from school, and the coach fleet is expanding as more school services are converted to seat belted coaches.
The vehicles concerned do not necessarily run to, or near, the places they are named after. Good examples are fleet numbers 639 & 641, named 'Steephill Cove' and 'Ventnor Cove' respectively; they are open-top buses, and there is no open top bus route that goes within
4 miles of either of those locations. Neither are the names completely unique, as while no bus carries exactly the same name as another, fleet number 740 is named 'Ventnor Bay', the same piece of water as 'Ventnor Cove'. Names are repeated as older vehicles are withdrawn from the fleet and newer vehicles added. For example, fleet number 900 was named 'Cowleaze Chine'. Fleet number 1109 was named 'Cowleaze Chine' when it came into service in November 2008.
single-deck buses arrived in a precursor to the current livery, with many copies of the previous company logo disintegrating into a standard green towards the rear of the bus, these buses still run, most likely as the livery is deemed similar enough to the new one.
Since April 2006, most buses have been painted with a new livery of two shades of green. It also consists of a newly designed logo and the new slogan "the island's buses". The company's 7 B7TLs in the fleet were the first to be re-sprayed to this, all from the old Island Explorer livery which they were delivered in 2002. Prior to full completion of the new two-tone livery, the B7TLs were temporarily used for services with just a lime green livery. There are some exceptions to this new livery. The open-top tours have a blue and orange livery, with "Island Breezers" branding. Coaches and driver training vehicles also carry a number of different liveries.
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast
Go South Coast
Go South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the...
division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches. All operations are operated from a central depot in Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
and a number of much smaller outstations located around the Island.
April 2006 saw a simplified network and timetable, a rebranding of the company and a new livery of two shades of green. Subsidised fares were introduced in line with Government reforms to encourage more people to use the buses. In May 2006, Southern Vectis reported a 16% rise in passengers from May 2005.
The company runs 13 regular routes covering most of the island. School services are in place on designated routes run on a contract from the Isle of Wight Council,. Timetables are updated twice a year, sometimes more often, with a winter and summer timetable. The summer timetable includes open-top tours to cater for tourists.
History
Southern Vectis began life as a company called Dodson & Campbell Ltd. in 1921. Dodson's became, in 1923, The Vectis Bus Company, and in 1929, the company was bought by Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
, and became The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited.
The company had associations with Christopher Dodson, bus body builders in London. Therefore, all Vectis buses of the period had Dodson built bodies.
The company was nationalised in 1948, and became part of the National Bus Company
National Bus Company UK
The National Bus Company was, from 1969 to 1988, a nationalised bus company in England and Wales. NBC did not run buses itself, but was the owner of a number of regional subsidiary bus operating companies.-History:-Background:...
in 1969. Then in 1986 as a consequence of the Transport Act 1985
Transport Act 1985
The Transport Act 1985 was a Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It introduced deregulation of bus services throughout Great Britain, although a different system of franchised routes was applied in Greater London. It was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher.Bus...
the business was privatised and purchased by its management with help from its employees, who formed Southern Vectis plc to buy the company.
Badger Vectis
Quayshelf Ltd, trading as Badger Vectis was a former bus company which was based in Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom. A post-deregulation joint venture between Weston-super-Mare based bus company Badgerline and Isle of Wight bus company Southern Vectis, it was set up in September 1987 to compete with...
in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, and Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line Ltd formerly Musterphantom Ltd is a bus company which operates buses in Hampshire, England under the names Bluestar and Uni-link. The company was taken over along with its parent, Southern Vectis in 2005 by The Go-Ahead Group. From 25 February 2008, all previous Solent Blue Line...
in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Blue Line used older Southern Vectis buses and second hand double deckers, to compete with the dominant Southampton Citybus
Southampton Citybus
Southampton Citybus was a bus operator which operated local services throughout the city of Southampton, United Kingdom. It was formed in 1898 as Southampton Corporation Transport...
on their most profitable routes.
The newly privatised Southern Vectis expanded its business into other areas on the island too, the company bought a self-drive van hire firm, A.B. Wadhams (Rentals) Ltd., and also 2 Ford Granada
Ford Granada (Europe)
The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...
taxis, which it ran from Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
Pontoon. The taxis both served as a new venture for the company, and a way to take on one of its then new competitors, Gange Taxis & Minicoaches, on their home turf. Taxibus services were also pioneered by Southern Vectis on the Island, where taxi firms were appointed to run rural routes which would otherwise not be served. However, Southern Vectis had relinquished its involvement in taxis all together by 1989.
Southern Vectis was one of the most aggressive bus firms upon deregulation, which can be seen from the company's restored monopoly on Isle of Wight bus services and the fact that their subsidiary Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line Ltd formerly Musterphantom Ltd is a bus company which operates buses in Hampshire, England under the names Bluestar and Uni-link. The company was taken over along with its parent, Southern Vectis in 2005 by The Go-Ahead Group. From 25 February 2008, all previous Solent Blue Line...
(now in the guise of Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
) now holds a very powerful position in Southampton and Hampshire 23 years after its creation, alongside what remains of City Bus in First Hampshire & Dorset
First Hampshire & Dorset
First Hampshire & Dorset is a subsidiary bus company within FirstGroup, which operates buses and trains throughout Great Britain.First Hampshire & Dorset has its head office in Empress Road, Southampton and operates bus services in the Weymouth and Bridport areas in Dorset; and services in...
.
In late 2002, Southern Vectis bought the first low-floor buses on the Isle of Wight, 7 Plaxton President
Plaxton President
The Plaxton President was a double-decker bus body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan, England and branded as a Plaxton product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under...
-bodied Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
s and a single Plaxton Mini Pointer bodied Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
. 14 TransBus Mini Pointer Darts arrived in early 2005. This was later followed by an order for seven Mercedes-Benz Citaros in January 2007 to upgrade high-floor buses on route 9.
The company made national news in 2003 with the launch of a pink punishment school bus nicknamed 'The Pink Peril' designed to take badly-behaved students to and from school. The vehicle was the oldest in the fleet, an Iveco minibus fleet number 283. The scheme initially proved a success but was later scrapped.
In July 2005 Southern Vectis plc was acquired by the Go Ahead
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
bus and rail group. This acquisition brought with it both Southern Vectis and Hampshire subsidiary Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line Ltd formerly Musterphantom Ltd is a bus company which operates buses in Hampshire, England under the names Bluestar and Uni-link. The company was taken over along with its parent, Southern Vectis in 2005 by The Go-Ahead Group. From 25 February 2008, all previous Solent Blue Line...
. Southern Vectis' has been rebranded, though the name has remained, while Solent Blue Line has found itself rebranded Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
. Since late 2005, Southern Vectis has shared its directors with mainland bus companies Bluestar, and Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
, as part of Go Ahead's Go South Coast division.
One of the first actions taken under its new ownership was to establish a new network using Newport
Newport, Isle of Wight
Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
as a central hub, with most routes linking to it. Although this involved axing major old routes such as the Island Explorer, it has largely proved a success. Within 18 months since April 2006 when the new network was introduced passenger numbers increased by 45%, with a 14% growth in fare-paying customers. This was one of the highest increases in the UK and continuing growth has since occurred. Seventeen Scania OmniCity
Scania OmniCity
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
double-deckers arrived in July 2008 to replace older step entrance double-deck buses. Eleven more arrived in Easter 2009 making the entire standard "green" bus fleet low floor.
On 15 October 2009, Southern Vectis launched a car scrappage scheme, promoted with the website ScrapMyMotor.com. This incentivised Island residents to scrap their car for a year's Southern Vectis season ticket. Southern Vectis hopes that after a year customers will switch for a longer term.. The scheme is currently being marketed through rear bus advertisements. Due to the popularity of the scheme, it is thought that it will be mirrored by other Go-Ahead Group bus companies. Southern Vectis later announced that five vehicles had been scrapped within the first fortnight and the company had had around 6,000 enquiries about the programme. So far, the scheme has seen 75 vehicles scrapped including a horsebox, with a claimed carbon saving of 145 tonnes per annum.
From June 1, 1994, Southern Vectis plc was a shareholder in the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
bus company Kaliskie Line Autobus; Southern Vectis owned 18.38% of the company's shares. On 14 September 2010, Southern Vectis sold its share of the company to the majority shareholder, the City of Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
, for £127,840 (600,000 PLN).
Dealings with Competition
Southern Vectis was the National Bus Company subsidiary on the Isle of Wight before the NBC's break-up and privatisation in 1986. It began, and has stayed the dominant bus provider on the Island, only running against what has been called "Token Competition" in the past. In fact Southern Vectis now faces virtually no competition to its services, as The Isle of Wight Council's WightbusWightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
, which previously ran a number of largely uncompetitive routes alongside Southern Vectis, has been disbanded.
Bus Services
As a result of the 1986 deregulation several competitors emerged, or increased an existing presence running routes competing with Southern Vectis. These competitors included Island Travel (aka Cooke's Coaches of Porchfield), Grand Hotel Tours, Seaview ServicesSeaview Services
Seaview Services is a coach and tour operator operating on the Isle of Wight, England. The company formally was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, operating a route between Ryde and Seaview, however in 1992 sold its bus business to Southern Vectis....
"Redlynx", Wiltax of Shanklin, Gange's Minicoaches and Moss Motor Tours
Moss Motor Tours
Moss Motor Tours Ltd. was a bus and coach company that operated on the Isle of Wight between 1923 and 1994. The company sold its assets in 1994 to various bus and coach providers on the Island and off...
.
Both Island Travel and Gange's Minicoaches, which established routes between Cowes and Ryde, ceased running their bus services partially due to anti-competitive practices on the part of Southern Vectis. These included Southern Vectis using their relatively large resources to run vehicles immediately ahead of competing vehicles where the routes coincided with those of Southern Vectis, in a practise known as duplication. These tactics were by no means temporary, in the case of Gange's Minicoaches, they continued right until the firm ceased running their bus services two and a half years later.
Operators accused Southern Vectis of enlisting a "special squad" of drivers which went to such extreme measures as parking and wait for a competing bus to appear in the distance before immediately setting off in front to pick up whatever passengers were waiting at the stop. The squad tasked with running ahead of Gange's Minicoaches was termed the "Gangebusters" by staff.
Duplication tactics were seen again in 1991, Southern Vectis shadowed a county council contracted bus run by Norman Baker Taxis, and as a result the Council was forced to terminate the contract, or face being accused of wasting poll tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
payers' money.
Franchising
Throughout the disputes caused by Southern Vectis, the company repeatedly insisted that its solution was "franchising" routes, stating that the company was the "market leader" in the practise. In such a case, Southern Vectis would let another operator run one of their (usually less profitable) routes, in return for a share of the takings of the route.Franchising was initially successful in Southern Vectis' mainland business, where the company franchised Solent Blue Line routes to Marchwood Motorways. However few found the offer tempting on the Island, as the influx of operators during this period was largely from those who wished to compete with Southern Vectis. Though, as it became clear to potential operators that competing with the newly independent Southern Vectis was a daunting and sometimes stressful task, operators began to approach the company looking to franchise.
Franchisees who took on routes from Southern Vectis included M-Travel, who took on the Newport Town Circular. The Traditional Bus Company & The Village Bus Company, who took on some of the open top routes including the Shanklin Pony. The last franchisee was The Alpha Group, which ran the Newport Town Circular after M-Travel's collapse. Since that time Southern Vectis have not franchised any routes to operators.
Refusal to allow access to bus stations
In 1986, a newly privatised Southern Vectis inherited Newport Bus StationNewport (Isle of Wight) bus station
Newport bus station, on the Isle of Wight is located at Orchard Street in Newport town centre. Recent redevelopment has seen the former 1960s-built South Street bus station demolished, to make way for a new row of shops, and the current facility built behind that site...
, the Island's main bus terminus as part of the deal. This caused numerous headaches for upstart competitors, who were refused access to what Southern Vectis considered their private land, but the public thought was the place all buses would be available from, regardless of which company they were operated by.
Southern Vectis' refusal to allow Gange's Minicoaches to use Newport bus station prompted an investigation in 1987 by the Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
. The first time the deregulated bus industry had come under investigation from the OFT. The OFT report, published in 1988, found Southern Vectis' behaviour to be anti-competitive, preventing smaller bus operators from establishing awareness and competing effectively.
Southern Vectis was presented with an ultimatum following the report, either allow competitors to use the bus station, or face the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. The company decided that the former was preferable, and instated a programme by which competitors could use their station. Southern Vectis' relatively small competitors would have to fulfil "reasonable terms" to use the station, but they have never been properly defined, and were subject to further complaints from competitors.
The publication of this report meant that no bus company could keep competitors out of their bus stations, a result that resonated across Britain. On the Island Gange's Minicoaches was offered use of Stand F in Ryde bus station, and was also offered a stand in Newport bus station. However, Gange's did not find the charges set for either station agreeable, and continued to operate from the opposite side of Ryde bus station (part of the highway, so owned by the council) and the South Street bus stop in Newport, until their service was discontinued.
The current Newport bus station design includes a stand which is on the public highway, Stand F, meaning that Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
who, prior to their discontinuation used the stand for all of their services, could use Newport bus station without paying any dues to Southern Vectis. In Ryde, Wightbus are used Stand G. All other stands were utilised by Southern Vectis exclusively.
School Bus Services
In 2008, Southern Vectis yet again ran buses "ghosting" a competitor, this time running parallel to the Isle of Wight CouncilIsle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
's Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
school services. These buses did the same job as the Wightbus services and ran at the same time, and Southern Vectis could still claim term ticket fees for the students getting onto their ghost services from the Council. Southern Vectis claimed to have contractual issues with the Council and wanted the contract to be "reworked" entirely.
From the start of the school term in September 2010, the vast majority of school buses are run by Southern Vectis under contract from the Isle of Wight Council. This was awarded as a closed contract for the whole school lift, meaning the general public can no longer use the services. The result of this is that Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
no longer run any school routes, except for a handful of services for disabled children, leaving the council's bus and coach fleet largely redundant, along with many of the company's drivers. A knock on effect of this shift is that several Wightbus routes, including the St Lawrence-Shanklin Rail link
Wightbus route 16
Wightbus route 16 or the Rail link service was a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Wightbus between St Lawrence and Shanklin via Ventnor Botanic Garden, Ventnor and Bonchurch...
have been discontinued. The Isle of Wight Council has indicated that it intends to shut down Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
in August 2011.
Private Hire
The market for Private Hire buses and Coaches is more competitive than that of bus services on the Island, though Southern Vectis still holds a powerful position, with the ability to publicise Private Hire onboard its buses, and at one point putting 4 near-identical advertisements into a telephone directory for its four different coach brands. Operators that Southern Vectis competes against for private hire coaches include The Alpha Group, Gange's Coaches, and Kardan Travel, among others.Standard services
Southern Vectis operates 15 standard bus services, the most frequent being route 1Southern Vectis route 1
Southern Vectis route 1 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Cowes and Newport on the Isle of Wight. The daytime frequency of the route is every 7-8 minutes. There are two route variants between Northwood and Cowes Pontoon, running either via Cowes Round House or Cowes Park and Ride...
, running every 7–8 minutes. The most recent timetable came into operation on 4 September 2011.
Night Buses
Night buses run on three routes on Friday and Saturday nights:- 1Southern Vectis route 1Southern Vectis route 1 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Cowes and Newport on the Isle of Wight. The daytime frequency of the route is every 7-8 minutes. There are two route variants between Northwood and Cowes Pontoon, running either via Cowes Round House or Cowes Park and Ride...
: NewportNewport, Isle of WightNewport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
– CowesCowesCowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank... - 3Southern Vectis route 3Southern Vectis route 3 is a bus service operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport, Ventnor and Ryde. It also runs via Rookley, Godshill and Brading. The general daytime frequency of the route is every half-hour each direction, although in the evenings and on Sundays fewer...
: NewportNewport, Isle of WightNewport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
– VentnorVentnorVentnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
– ShanklinShanklinShanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...
– SandownSandownSandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
– RydeRydeRyde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower... - 9Southern Vectis route 9Southern Vectis route 9 is a bus route operated on the Isle of Wight by Southern Vectis between Newport and Ryde via Fairlee/Staplers, Wootton and Binstead. The general daytime frequency of the route is every 10 minutes in each direction, every 15 minutes on Sundays and every 15 minutes in the...
: NewportNewport, Isle of WightNewport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census...
– RydeRydeRyde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
Previously—30 September 2007 to 20 April 2008—buses ran 24-hour services all week to most island towns for the first time ever. This was a development project with a view to making them commercially viable but, with worries over the subsidies fares scheme, Southern Vectis decided they could no longer afford to operate these extra services.
Prior to the 24-hours services, night buses carried an 'N' prefix on each route number to show it was a night bus service, for example N1. This practice was not continued after the withdrawal of 24-hours services. Routes 8 and 38 also had a night service before the 24-hours scheme.
Open-top buses
Southern Vectis run four open-top routes during the summer, usually from early April until September/October. All of the routes are circular, operating in one direction. Designed to serve tourist attractions, each route (apart from the Shanklin Steamer) is operated under the "Island BreezersIsland Breezers
Island Breezers is the brand name given to the open top bus services run by Southern Vectis, which is the main bus operator on the Isle of Wight....
" brand, introduced in 2007 with orange and blue livery, replacing the orange and yellow "Open Top Tours" branding.
Open-top tours operated by the company include
- The Needles Breezer
- The Downs Breezer
- The Sandown Bay Breezer
- The Shanklin Steamer
As of April 2009, these tourist focussed services became ineligible for the Over 60's free bus scheme.
Road Trains
Up until September 2009, three road trains were run along the seafront of three island towns, Ryde, Shanklin and Sandown, designed specifically to enable tourists to easily get to various points along the beach. The services were run by the Isle of Wight Council and contracted out to Southern Vectis. However, in April 2010 it was announced that the vehicles would be retired due to increased costs in maintenance due to their old age, they have subsequently been advertised as "Redundant Vehicles" by the Isle of Wight CouncilIsle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
.
For the 2010 season, the Sandown road train was withdrawn and used only as a spare. September 25, 2010 was the last day for the Ryde roadtrain and the Shanklin roadtrain will operate until the end of October 2010. For the 2011 tourist season, talks are being held between the Council and Southern Vectis about replacement themed vehicle operations to be operated on a fully commercial basis. Decisions on what would replace the road trains are still in development but are likely to be something bus-based. The idea of a charabanc
Charabanc
A charabanc or "char-à-banc" is a type of horse-drawn vehicle or early motor coach, usually open-topped, common in Britain during the early part of the 20th century. It was especially popular for sight-seeing or "works outings" to the country or the seaside, organised by businesses once a year...
service has also been brought up. The axing of the routes by the Isle of Wight Council has been subject to criticism, recently by Shanklin Town Councillor Chris Quirk who said the move was 'unnecessary'..In January 2011 the Dotto Trains were sold to a Welsh bidder in Llandudno who has plans to lease them back to anyone wanting to run a service on the island.
As of April 2011 the former Shanklin roadtrain route has now replaced with a bus route called "The Shanklin Steamer" using 625 from the bus fleet for the route after having a conversion. Due to 625 not being ready at this present time surplus buses are being used in the meantime.
The routes the roadtrains used to take are as follows.
- Ryde: Linking the Esplanade with the beaches at Appley and Puckpool.
- Shanklin: Linking the Esplanade with Queens Road, The Old Village, Town Centre and Railway Station.
- Sandown: Linking the Pier and Esplanade with Dinosaur Isle, Isle of Wight Zoo, and the beach at Yaverland.
Coach Unit
Southern Vectis' involvement in coaching has varied through the years; early in the company's history the firm took no interest in coaching whatsoever, preferring to leave the field to other operators. However, the company became involved in coaching through acquisition and conglomeration.Currently, the Southern Vectis coach unit is described by some as being at "arms-length"; its primary purpose has shifted over time, but is currently geared towards serving the Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
school contract, as can be seen from the school bus vinyls affixed to most of the coach fleet.
In contrast with the company's bus fleet, the coach unit is largely made up from older coaches acquired from Go South Coast
Go South Coast
Go South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the...
's mainland operations, such as Tourist Coaches and Marchwood Motorways
Marchwood Motorways
Marchwood Motorways Ltd. is a bus and coach operator owned by the Go-Ahead Group, who acquired them in 2006. It is a now a sub-division of Solent Blue Line.-Background:Marchwood Motorways runs buses and coaches from its base in Totton, Hampshire...
, where the mainland coaching units have received a significant number of new coaches, many of their previous coaches have been transferred to the Southern Vectis fleet, and subsequently repainted.
In 2011, Southern Vectis purchased the name and coach assets of large former competitor Wightrollers, and added that to its other three fleet names, listed below.
Fleetnames
Currently, with the exception of the Island Coaster, Southern Vectis has no coaches carrying obvious Southern Vectis branding. In fact the current vast majority of coaches carry fleetnames of the better known Island coach firms which Southern Vectis has assimilated or acquired over its existence.Each of the 4 "fleetnames", with distinctive liveries appear to the public to be independent coach operators. However drivers wear Southern Vectis uniforms and most vehicles carry Southern Vectis legal lettering, fleet numbers, vehicle names and in most cases 'Go-Ahead' stickers, which breaks this illusion. Notably in 2009, the first 3 below "company" names were registered at Companies House
Companies House
Companies House is the United Kingdom Registrar of Companies and is an Executive Agency of the United Kingdom Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills . All forms of companies are incorporated and registered with Companies House and file specific details as required by the...
as their respective legal entities in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. However the implications of this move are unclear.
The fleetnames used, with the exception of Island Coaster, are as follows.
- "Fountain Coaches" Once a rival to Southern Vectis, Fountain Coaches was assimilated into the nationalised Southern Vectis when the National Bus CompanyNational Bus CompanyThe National Bus Company, or NBC, was the Australian brand for National Express Group's mass transit bus services in Melbourne and Brisbane. Its sister companies were Westbus, Hillsbus, and Glenorie in Sydney, Southern Coast Transit in Perth.-Routes:...
rationalised in 1969. Shamrock and Rambler, the mainland business which was previously in control of Fountain Coaches is where the firm obtained its livery of orange and cream. The livery has changed and alternated over the many years Southern Vectis have used the fleetname. Now the fleetname has reappeared after the Go Ahead takeover, these coaches are painted orange, white and brown.
- "West Wight Bus & Coach Company" West Wight and four of its coaches were purchased by the privatised Southern Vectis in 1987, and briefly used as a fleetname alongside Southern Vectis & Fountain Coaches vehicles during this period. The firm had previously sold out its stage carriage/bus service business to Southern Vectis in 1952. The name has also returned after the Go Ahead takeover as a fleetname for coaches and some of Southern Vectis driver transport minibuses. West Wight's livery of grey and red has been reinterpreted by Southern Vectis as maroon and grey.
- "Moss Motors" Another former competitor of Southern Vectis, Moss Motor ToursMoss Motor ToursMoss Motor Tours Ltd. was a bus and coach company that operated on the Isle of Wight between 1923 and 1994. The company sold its assets in 1994 to various bus and coach providers on the Island and off...
was a coach tours & bus operator on the Island between 1923 and 1994. In 1994 the name and "goodwill" of the company, but little else, was bought by then privatised Southern Vectis. However, the name has only been used as a fleetname by Southern Vectis coach unit since the Go Ahead takeover. The name is used on a number of coaches, and several mostly blue double deckers. The livery used for the Southern Vectis Moss fleet varies, but is mostly based on the two tone blue used on Moss' classic coaches. In contrast to the actual Moss Motor Tours which was known for its pristine coach fleet, the Southern Vectis coaches that carry the Moss name are largely second hand.
- "Wightrollers" In stark contrast to the three other former competitors to Southern Vectis listed above, Wightrollers is a recent acquisition. The firm was purchased by Go South Coast in 2011 after revealing that it was in financial difficulties. Southern Vectis has also taken on much of the staff from the firm, and its coaches now operate under Southern Vectis' control.
Island Coaster
The summer "Island Coaster" service introduced in 2007 runs between RydeRyde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
and Alum Bay
Alum Bay
Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of the Needles. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs.-Geology:...
, with two journeys each way, aimed at tourists. To avoid residents using it for local journeys, local fares are not available on this service. Passengers are recommended to buy the company's £10 all-day ticket, although the longer-period versions preferred by residents are also valid. From 15 March 2009, along with other seasonal Island Breezer
Island Breezers
Island Breezers is the brand name given to the open top bus services run by Southern Vectis, which is the main bus operator on the Isle of Wight....
routes, no concessions were available on the route. The Island Coaster follows the route of 2 former services, the 12 from Ryde to Sandown
Southern Vectis route 12
Southern Vectis route 12 is a bus service operated by Southern Vectis between Newport and Totland via Shorwell, Brighstone and Freshwater.- West Wight Route :...
and the 7/7A from Sandown to Alum Bay.
The route serves attractions such as Freshwater Bay and Blackgang Chine
Blackgang Chine
Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed chine in the soft Cretaceous cliffs about 6 miles from Ventnor at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight just below St Catherine's Down. Since 1843 it has been home to the Blackgang Chine amusement park, run by the Dabell family who also run the...
, linking them with Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
, Shanklin
Shanklin
Shanklin is a popular seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on the east coast's Sandown Bay. The sandy beach, its Old Village and a wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, are its main attractions. The esplanade along the beach is occupied by hotels and restaurants for the...
, Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
and Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
. To get between Blackgang Chine and Brook
Brook, Isle of Wight
-Background:It is situated on the south west coast of the Island between Brighstone and Freshwater, and borders a section of rugged coastline , the Back of the Wight, facing into the English Channel and towards the famous Needles and west Wight cliffs....
near Brighstone
Brighstone
Brighstone is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, 6 miles southwest of Newport on the B3399 road. Brighstone was previously known as "Brixton"...
, the service uses the Military Road. Prior to the network revision in spring 2006, services had operated on this road under the Island Explorer name. As the new route was not introduced until summer 2007, there was no service along the road in the summer of 2006.
The 2008 service began on the 15 March, ahead of the main timetable change, with a number of amendments. The route number of "X40" was dropped (although still displayed on buses), leaving the service only with a name, similar to the open top tours, and the route no longer serves Bembridge
Bembridge
Bembridge is an affluent village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to claims by residents that Bembridge is the largest village in England, and occasional claims that it is...
Coast Hotel or Sandown
Sandown
Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible...
Esplanade. The service was suspended for the winter at the end of 2 November, later than the previous year.
For the 2009 season the system of two departures within 30 minutes, matching the perceived flow of traffic to/from West Wight, is replaced. There is just one morning and one afternoon journey each way, one of which terminates or starts in Shanklin rather than Ryde. Most journeys on the route are extended from Freshwater Bay to Yarmouth, although some no longer serve Alum Bay. Another change for 2009 is the introduction of coaches for the route, instead of using regular buses.
Shanklin Steamer
During 2011, due to the aftermath of the council cuts it was announced the road trains were to be scrapped, talks between the Isle of Wight CouncilIsle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
& Southern Vectis to start up a bus service based on the former Shanklin Road Train route was discussed. Thus the "Shanklin Steamer" was introduced the route covers such tourist destinations as Old Village,Shanklin Esplanade, Shanklin Chine
Shanklin Chine
Shanklin Chine is a geological feature and tourist attraction in the town of Shanklin, on the Isle of Wight, England. A wooded coastal ravine, it contains waterfalls, trees and lush vegetation, with footpaths and walkways allowing paid access for visitors, and a heritage centre explaining its...
& Railway Station
Shanklin railway station
Shanklin railway station is a railway station serving Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. It is the present terminus of the Island Line from Ryde, although the line used to run to Ventnor. The station now has one platform with a ticket office and a small shop with the second platform now in use as a...
. It is operated by a specially converted single deck bus.
School Services
The current primary purpose for the coach unit is the transport of children to school, and the unit has seen rapid expansion after Southern Vectis won the vast majority of school contracts away from the Isle of Wight Council's own WightbusWightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
service. Wightbus is proposed to shut down, partially as a result of this development.
In September 2009 Southern Vectis ran these coaches on bus routes registered with the traffic commissioner, and placed dedicated school bus stops along these routes, however the company has since cancelled these registered services and now runs the coaches entirely under a contract tendered by the council. Southern Vectis uses its coach brands, in particular Moss Motors on its school bus services.
From September 2008, foreign students were due to be educated in bus queuing etiquette after complaints from residents about being 'pushed away' while trying to board the bus. On 16 March 2008, a new school bus timetable came out with several new routes shadowing some of the Wightbus school routes, with some controversy. However, these routes were axed for the following school bus timetable on 3 September 2008.
Other services
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
and the Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
. Additional buses are brought to the island – usually fellow Go South Coast
Go South Coast
Go South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the...
buses – for the extra visitors. During the Isle of Wight Festival, extra shuttle services are run from Lymington to Yarmouth Wightlink
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
ferry terminal, from the Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to East Cowes Red Funnel
Red Funnel
The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, which trades as Red Funnel, is a ferry company that carries passengers and vehicles on routes between the English mainland and the Isle of Wight...
ferry terminal, and from the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to Fishborne and Portsmouth to Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
Wightlink
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
ferry terminal and Fastcat passenger boat terminal, with a buses meeting every crossing.
An Open Top Christmas Lights Tour is run during December until early January every evening (excluding 24, 25 and 26 December). One of the company's 'Island Breezer' buses takes a route past the most illuminated houses. The route lasts for 2 hours and travels through Newport, Binstead, Brading, Newchurch and Godshill. For the 2008 tour, a stop at the Old World Tea Rooms in Godshill was added for a complimentary mince pie and hot drink.
The company ran the Sailbus during Cowes Week
Cowes Week
Cowes Week is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world...
in 2009. Since the start of the service, it has been operated by Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
. However the lack of a sponsor for the 2009 event and the fact the Isle of Wight Council no longer run the Northwood House car park and receive no income from it, caused the council to reach agreement with Southern Vectis to run the service with a £1 a journey fare. However as the service had always been free in the past, few people were willing to start paying for the service. It was proposed that parking charges for Northwood House be increased during Cowes Week to help with running costs of the service however trustees of the house disagreed and the service did not run in 2010.
Figures
Southern Vectis Figures, from Go Ahead- Passenger journeys – 8m
- Passenger vehicle km travelled – 5.92m
- Total vehicle km travelled – 6.98m
- Per cent of low-floor buses – 46%
- Size of bus fleet – 105
Average age of fleet (years):
- Southern Vectis – 11.6
- Government industry target (max) – 8.0
VOSA PSV vehicle pass rate test:
- Southern Vectis – 88%
- National average – 86.5%
Scheduled km operated buses:
- Southern Vectis – 99.62%
- Industry target – 99.50%
Timetables
During 1989-2002, Southern Vectis released a series of summer timetables, one per year with pictorial covers. Usually these featured a Rupert Besley cartoon of an Island location and featured a Southern Vectis bus. The winter timetable booklet was normally less unusual, featuring a photograph of a bus on the cover. Other timetables released include plain covers.Prior to 2006, Southern Vectis' timetable booklets showed their own buses, Island Line train services, ferry times, connecting mainland trains and complementary, non-competing routes offered by other bus operators, mainly Wightbus. These booklets were titled "Getting Around the Isle of Wight". However, when Southern Vectis introduced their revised network in 2006, all third-party timetables were removed. The Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
began producing The Isle of Wight Public Transport Handbook which provided a new impartial source for this information, though this stopped being produced after Southern Vectis included the Wightbus timetables in their September 2010 timetable book.
In addition to timetables for the Isle of Wight, Southern Vectis previously produced the Great Britain Bus Timetable. However, this ceased publication with the increasing availability of bus times on the internet.
The summer timetable normally consists of seasonal services such as the Island Coaster, the Island Breezers
Island Breezers
Island Breezers is the brand name given to the open top bus services run by Southern Vectis, which is the main bus operator on the Isle of Wight....
open top tours and the Road Trains, so aren't shown in the table below, although the Medina Tour was withdrawn permanently after the 2009 season. Southern Vectis have previously charged for timetables, normally 50p, however since 1 October 2006, they were given away free in an attempt to increase awareness of bus times to potential passengers. Bus timetables are delivered to 97% of homes across the island. Timetables produced after the new network were given the title "Island Hopping", however from the 20 December 2009 this title was dropped with the timetable now titled simply as "Bus times for the Isle of Wight".
In June 2001, timetables appeared online. After the network change in April 2006 a timetable was added to each bus stop. With the new website in 2008, a text service was launched to allow passengers to find out when their next bus would be coming from bus stops across the island.
The 2008 winter timetable onwards have been printed on recycled paper to increase Southern Vectis' environmental credentials.
| Date started | Date ended | Cover photo | Routes added | Routes deleted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 April 2006 | 30 September 2006 (originally to be 1st) | Alum Bay Alum Bay Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within sight of the Needles. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs.-Geology:... and coastal path to The Needles The Needles The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation... |
New Network | |
| 1 October 2006 | 30 December 2006 | Totland Bay Totland Totland is a village and civil parish at the western tip of the Isle of Wight. It lies on the coast at Colwell Bay, which is the closest part of the island to the British mainland... |
16, 15 | 19, 13, 24, 34, 35 |
| 1 January 2007 | 31 March 2007 | Osborne House Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat.... |
20, 29 | 37 |
| 1 April 2007 | 29 September 2007 | Freshwater Bay Freshwater Bay Freshwater Bay can refer to:*The cove on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England: see Freshwater, Isle of Wight*The bay in Newfoundland, Canada: see Freshwater Bay, Newfoundland*Freshwater Bay, Barbados*Freshwater Bay... |
None | 20 |
| 30 September 2007 | 15 March 2008 | Newport Town Centre Newport, Isle of Wight Newport is a civil parish and a county town of the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England. Newport has a population of 23,957 according to the 2001 census... |
23, 27, 28, 37 | 12, 30, 32 |
| 16 March 2008 | 19 April 2008 | Black & White interim copy - None | 35 | 15, 39, 21 |
| 20 April 2008 | 30 August 2008 | Compton Beach, with couple walking | None | 23, 35, 37 |
| 31 August 2008 | 4 April 2009 | The Needles The Needles The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation... at sunset |
None | 27, 28, 29 |
| 5 April 2009 | 29 August 2009 | Horses outside Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke, near Newport, Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial.-Early history:... |
None | None |
| 30 August 2009 | 19 December 2009 | Bembridge Bembridge Bembridge is an affluent village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to claims by residents that Bembridge is the largest village in England, and occasional claims that it is... lifeboat station from St Helens St Helens, Isle of Wight St. Helens is a village and civil parish located on the eastern side of the Isle of Wight. The village is based around village greens. This is claimed to be the largest in England but some say the Village Green is the second largest. The greens are often used for cricket matches during the summer... |
None | 22 |
| 20 December 2009 | 17 April 2010 | The Downs from Rowlands Lane | None | 10, 11, 14, 16 |
| 18 April 2010 | 4 September 2010 | Blackgang Chine Blackgang Chine Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed chine in the soft Cretaceous cliffs about 6 miles from Ventnor at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight just below St Catherine's Down. Since 1843 it has been home to the Blackgang Chine amusement park, run by the Dabell family who also run the... with bus 1117 |
37, X10, X11 | None |
| 5 September 2010 | 8 January 2011 | Sandown Sandown Sandown is a seaside resort town and civil parish on the southeast coast of the Isle of Wight, England, neighbouring the town of Shanklin to the south. Sandown Bay is the name of the bay off the English Channel which both towns share, and it is notable for its long stretch of easily accessible... beach |
12, 25 | None |
| 9 January 2011 | 16 April 2011 | Chale Bay from Blackgang Chine Blackgang Chine Blackgang Chine is the location of a now-destroyed chine in the soft Cretaceous cliffs about 6 miles from Ventnor at the southern tip of the Isle of Wight just below St Catherine's Down. Since 1843 it has been home to the Blackgang Chine amusement park, run by the Dabell family who also run the... |
None | None |
| 17 April 2011 | 3 September 2011 | Yaverland Beach | 21 | None |
| 4 September 2011 | 22 October 2011 | Racecourse Roundabout with bus 1111 | 22, 23, 24, 32, 33, 34, 35, 39 | None |
| 23 October 2011 | Further notice | Merstone Cross with bus 1105 | None | 21 |
As well as this, routes are altered, changing the route the service takes or to increase frequency.
Fares & Subsidies
Southern Vectis has been found to increase fares more strongly than the industry average, blamed by industry observers on the firms incredibly strong market position and lack of effective competition, however the company claims fare rises are done in line with inflation to represent the increase in costs of running bus services, and cites the Island's high population of elderly residents (whose travel is free) as a factor in the high fare costs. The company runs a fares review at the turn of each year, the latest occurred at the start of February 2009 with the lowest price single fare, from one bus stop to the next, rose from £2 to £2.50. Additionally the highest single fare rose from £4, to £4.50. Return fares are not available on most Southern Vectis services.At each fare rise Rover and Freedom tickets are usually frozen, however these are already priced comparatively high as opposed to the firms sister companies; for example a one day 'Rover' ticket on Southern Vectis costs £10, whereas a 'Solent day rider' for the entirety of the Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
network in Hampshire costs just £6.20, and an 'Explorer' pass that encompasses the entirety of the Bluestar
Bluestar (bus company)
Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
and Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
networks is £7.50.
With the new network from April 2006, Southern Vectis amended many of their fares. Notably, the maximum single fare was capped at £4. This has remained in place despite general fare rises since.
Student Rider
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
's Student Rider scheme. The scheme initially offered any single journey for 50p. The popularity of the scheme led to sometimes steep increases in the Student Rider fare, from 50p to £1 in 2008 and then again up to £1.20 in 2010.
Discontinuation & Half fare extension
In July 2010 after cuts in funding from central government to local authorities nationwide, it was recommended that the scheme should be scrapped. Protests were launched on the day of the meeting with over 100 students demonstrating outside County Hall. Despite this, the council still voted to axe the scheme from September. As of 1 September 2010, Student Rider passes no longer work. In response to the discontinuation, Southern Vectis raised the age at which half fares could be obtained to 18, the firm had previously maintained the pre-1948 school leavers age of 14 as its limit. Young people will have to provide photo ID to prove they are 18 or under, which for many means bringing their passport on board the bus, however Southern Vectis recommends that young people get a Citizencard to prove their age, and has hinted that it may provide a card of its own.OAP Bus Pass
Island residents over 60 or with a disability can travel free in the council area at any time of day, under the Government's England-wide scheme. The subsidised fares resulted in a significant rise in passengers, which led to increased services and drivers. During the first year of the scheme in operation, around 2.1 million journeys were made. From 1 April 2008, bus passes are issued England-wide, meaning holders can travel the country free. This was estimated to increase free journeys to 3.8 million from April 2008 to March 2009. Concessionary travel now makes up just under half of all journeys made on Southern Vectis buses. Southern Vectis have made improvements in preparation; for example in 2008 the Needles tour had an extra bus rostered to avoid possible overcrowding.Threats of cuts
Subsidised fares have continually been put under threat since their introduction, particularly the Student Rider scheme, as the Isle of Wight Council had no legal obligation to fund it. Similarly, unlimited free travel for pensioners has been put under threat on several occasions as the Council continues to experience a shortfall in funding and other financial pressures caused by the recession. Most recently the Council stated that from April 2010 it was uncertain about whether it could continue. Later in November it was confirmed free travel would be restricted to off-peak times only.On the 16 November 2007, the Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight Council
The Isle of Wight Council is a local council. It is a unitary authority covering the Isle of Wight, South East England. It is currently made up of 40 seats, with the Conservatives as ruling party with 24 councillors at the latest local election in June 2009....
proposed to cut the 76 per cent it pays for each concessionary fare down to 48 per cent. It said that if the current rate continued in 2008-09, the company would be making a huge profit. However Southern Vectis said it would leave them out of pocket by more than £1 million, and normal passenger fares could have to rise as much as 54 per cent. The cut was agreed by the Isle of Wight Council in November 2007 and, as a result of this, further rises to fares took place from 1 April 2008. The cost of concessionary travel in 2007 was £3 million; it was expected to rise to £5 million in 2008.
As a result, Southern Vectis announced that from the new timetables on 17 March 2008 almost all evening, Sunday and night buses would be axed, and some routes changed. More details about the service cuts emerged soon after. While night buses were cut, there have not been the level of reductions initially implied.
Another consequence was the withdrawal of routes 27, 28 and 29 from 1 September 2008. Originally run under tender to the council, when the over-60s bus pass scheme was introduced, more passengers were carried and Southern Vectis agreed to run them commercially. However, since the cut in subsidy, the services became unviable. The council is providing replacement services with Wightbus
Wightbus
Not to be confused with Wrightbus, the bus manufacturerWightbus was a bus operator on the Isle of Wight, owned by the Isle of Wight Council...
routes 29, 30, 32 and 33.
In November 2008, Southern Vectis threatened that should the Council cut the concessionary fares reimbursement rate in 2009, it would withdraw from the Student Rider scheme. The company is already appealing to the Secretary of State against the original reduction from 76 per cent to 48.05 per cent of each concessionary fare. Southern Vectis stated that they will not continue to voluntarily participate, although the council can serve a compulsory notice for it to do so.
In 2009 the amount the Isle of Wight Council pays Southern Vectis was again reduced. The effect of this resulted in a reduction in the frequency of routes 4 and 5, some journeys removed from route 6, routes 14 and 16 combining and route 22 being withdrawn. This caused further problems as, with the additional running costs staff received no increase in pay for 2009, resulting in strike action on three days in September. Later cuts are being planned by reducing the frequency of route 9, amalgamating route 10 into route 8 and withdrawing route 11.
Due to the large shortfall in funding to support the scheme, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a review into the way funding was distributed by the end of the financial year of 2009. Previously, the government had indicated the earliest review would be in two years time. This later resulted in a promise of increased payments to support the scheme of around £890,000 for 2010. However, this will still leave a large shortfall and still remains unclear about how much of this funding will actually be passed onto Southern Vectis.
Awards
XEPHOS, a computerised journey system that Southern Vectis developed, won a national award for technical development at the Bus Industry Awards at the London Hilton. The system is the only service that can provide customers with downloadable and printable timetables for the 12,500 services in its database and offers local and national information on thousands of journeys across the UK. It enables customers to look up any of 70,000 places available in the UK and gives a list of all public transport there, or a list and distance to the nearest services.In July 2007, a poetry project, involving the printing of poems on buses and engraved poems on plaques at bus stops won the community award at the 2007 Arts and Business Awards.
Southern Vectis was shortlisted for an award in the mid-size UK bus operator of the Year category at the Route One Operator Excellence Awards held at the National Motorcycle Museum
National Motorcycle Museum
There are National Motorcycle Museums in a number of countries. Some of the better known are:*National Motorcycle Museum , Solihull, West Midlands, England.*National Motorcycle Museum , Anamosa, Iowa, USA....
.
Southern Vectis was 'Highly Commended' in the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
's Green Business Award, however lost out on winning to AJ Wells and Sons.
Fleet
The company has a total bus fleet of 105 vehicles. Much of the fleet is in either the new two-tone green livery or the older 2005 green livery, although exceptions to this include 'Island Breezer' open top buses and the coach fleet. As of April 2009 with the purchase of 28 Scania OmniCityScania OmniCity
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
double deck buses the entire regular "green bus" service fleet is low floor. Single deck buses operated include 17 Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
/Plaxton Pointer
Plaxton Pointer
The Plaxton Pointer is a successful single-decker bus body manufactured during the 1990s by Plaxton and latterly built by Alexander Dennis.With the launch of the Dennis Dart in 1989, Plaxton's subsidiary Reeve Burgess made the Pointer body on the short 8.5 m...
MPDs and 2 Mercedes-Benz Citaros. Double deck buses they own include seven Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL
Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian...
/Plaxton President
Plaxton President
The Plaxton President was a double-decker bus body built at Northern Counties plant in Wigan, England and branded as a Plaxton product for its main production run. It was unveiled in 1997 and built between 1999 and 2005. When Plaxton became part of TransBus International, the body was sold under...
s and 28 Scania OmniCity
Scania OmniCity
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
s. The company's coaching fleet is now mostly made up of vehicles acquired from fellow Go South Coast
Go South Coast
Go South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the...
subsidiaries and even from Go-Ahead group member Go North East
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
. These are primarily used for transporting students to and from school, and the coach fleet is expanding as more school services are converted to seat belted coaches.
Names
Since the new network and corresponding livery, names have been applied to most of the buses in the fleet. Before this, only two buses in the fleet had received names. Those were CDL 899 (currently fleet number 602) "The Old Girl" and TDL 564K (fleet number 864 before being sold) "Shanklin's Pony". The name of "The Old Girl" is now official, and has been applied to the bus.The vehicles concerned do not necessarily run to, or near, the places they are named after. Good examples are fleet numbers 639 & 641, named 'Steephill Cove' and 'Ventnor Cove' respectively; they are open-top buses, and there is no open top bus route that goes within
4 miles of either of those locations. Neither are the names completely unique, as while no bus carries exactly the same name as another, fleet number 740 is named 'Ventnor Bay', the same piece of water as 'Ventnor Cove'. Names are repeated as older vehicles are withdrawn from the fleet and newer vehicles added. For example, fleet number 900 was named 'Cowleaze Chine'. Fleet number 1109 was named 'Cowleaze Chine' when it came into service in November 2008.
Livery
From 2005, new Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton PointerPlaxton Pointer
The Plaxton Pointer is a successful single-decker bus body manufactured during the 1990s by Plaxton and latterly built by Alexander Dennis.With the launch of the Dennis Dart in 1989, Plaxton's subsidiary Reeve Burgess made the Pointer body on the short 8.5 m...
single-deck buses arrived in a precursor to the current livery, with many copies of the previous company logo disintegrating into a standard green towards the rear of the bus, these buses still run, most likely as the livery is deemed similar enough to the new one.
Since April 2006, most buses have been painted with a new livery of two shades of green. It also consists of a newly designed logo and the new slogan "the island's buses". The company's 7 B7TLs in the fleet were the first to be re-sprayed to this, all from the old Island Explorer livery which they were delivered in 2002. Prior to full completion of the new two-tone livery, the B7TLs were temporarily used for services with just a lime green livery. There are some exceptions to this new livery. The open-top tours have a blue and orange livery, with "Island Breezers" branding. Coaches and driver training vehicles also carry a number of different liveries.
Further reading
-
External links
- Southern Vectis website – islandbuses.info
- Isle of Wight Bus Museum website