Thursday 5 January 2012

Cut of the 347 / 348

Hands up if you saw that coming? Yes, probably lots of you, but strongly rumoured by sources (and the Dorset bus blog, which is usually reliable so it is probably true), is the cut of the commercially operated Damory Coaches 347/348 service between Poole and Dorchester.

The 347/387 is a rural route connecting the county town of Dorset, Dorchester, with Poole, via villages at Tolpuddle and Puddletown, the military town of Blandford Forum, and various suburbs of Poole. Damory have been operating this very rural route commecially since last summer.

The story behind the 347/387 is that, following retendering, Bournemouth Transport (RATP Yellow Buses) won the route, along with First's 31 from Weymouth to Axminster, Dorchester town services and more. Yellow Buses were expanding west, threatening First and Go South Coast land. First and GSC hit back by registering the 31 (First), 347/387/Dorchester town services (GSC) commercially, although questions were asked back then what motive they had - was it to save Dorset county council money, or protect their empire? In the end, Yellow Buses did not expand into the west (bar a 4d hourly service to Wimborne, previously unserved).

And now this week - it seems as if the route has been deregistered commercially. No confirmation yet. The questions now are:
* were GSC really trying the save Dorset County Council money, running the route commercially, trying to defy all those who said it was not commercial?
* were GSC just trying to protect their empire?
* were GSC always going to deregister the commercial route?
* were GSC just trying to block Yellow Buses' expansion west regardless of actual financial outcome.

Even if the news turns out to be false, all the questions are still valid. I will pass no opinion here as I think, without all the facts, that would not be appropriate. Even if the changes are true, they are both legal and have been beneficial in saving Dorset County Council money. Moreover, GSC have the right to defend their empire. 

I hope that the intentions were good and honest, at least in the beginning. However, with the experience of BeepBus! and Velvet of 2008/9, we know such actions haven't always been morally correct...

8 comments:

  1. Confirmed today on VOSA that the 347/387 have indeed been cancelled by Damory along with Dorchester Town Routes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 and the 103 Dorchester-Bovington-Lulworth services!

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  2. And news has now come out in the papers that the Dorchester Town Service 7 is to be axed, this is the service that was previously commercial under Coach House Travel before Damory took over.

    Dorset County Council says the route will be replaced by re-routing buses that currently head towards Sherborne and Yeovil, meaning a reduction in service from hourly to 2-hourly.

    Les Watts who ran Service 7 with his firm Coach House Travel reportedly stated he was outraged at the decision and wishes he had never given it up now (to Damory).

    Interestingly Damory stated "no changes have been finalised" and refused to confirm whether the 7 will be axed while Dorset County Council confirmed the service will be ending. Surely this part from Damory could even be deemed a lie since registrations are in on VOSA and DCC seems to think it is ending to, So still, have they not learnt anything on bad communication between the 2 parties and really are letting their customers down in my opinion!

    http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/9467999.Villagers_slam_plans_to_axe_rural_bus_service/

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  3. Well no one warned DCC this may happen - I just hope the passengers get a solution that suits them, rather than just being left stranded like so many other little villages have been.

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    Replies
    1. 103 and the Dorchester end of the 347/387 route could be merged in to a new route which goes nowhere near Poole, but then it would not be Damory

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  4. Furthermore the Weymouth part of the 387 route could now be reinstated since the one thing which caused the closure of that bit was the impossible traffic, which now flows freely.

    A mini-bus marked via Hardy's Cottage from Weymouth to Poole would do a roaring trade all through the year and provide for the Kingston Maurward students and Hardy college students as well, and the local residents like me too poor to own a car.

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  5. If anybody would care to lend me a mini-bus I'll run it myself, and make money from it!


    Hardy's cottage! Hardy's cottage!
    Lower Bockhampton and Kingston Maurward! Troytown!

    All aboard!

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  6. It would HAVE to be a mini-bus, the hill off the by pass just before the "road narrows" on the Dorchester Rd,up to Hardy's cottage being too steep, even for the long single decker.

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  7. Cllr Brenton says "To force all 17 year olds on to the country roads as learner (m/c ers) is not green economical or safe"

    I say that "To force ANYBODY on to the country roads as drivers is not green,economical or safe, especially if an increasingly used bus service can continue to be provided"

    She says "The cost of fuel is making the runni9ng of 2nd or 3rd cars for country families prohibitive..."

    Which world does she live in? Bus users are almost be definition those who can not afford a FIRST car, and know equally that it is not green or economical to get one!

    "This at a time when there are few rural jobs..." Well yes Councillor Brenton nor people coming to the rural areas by bus to have
    things done for them!

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