BlueStar Spectra

After trying to find this for a week, I managed to stumble onto Wilts & Dorset DAF SB250/Optare Spectra 3162 (W162RFX) today in Hythe.

3162 has been painted into BlueStar colours for the changes to routes 56/56A, which see BlueStar take over them as BlueStar route 6. However, certain journeys still operate from Lymington and are still operated by Wilts & Dorset - 3162 is one of those buses blue for route 6 but still operated by Wilts & Dorset.

3162 is pictured in Hythe on route 112, which connects the coastal town to Lymington. Blue buses on the 112 fit in well at Hythe - a BlueStar hub seeing 6 route 9s an hour, at least 1 route 8 an hour, and a Solo on the town services. Sources indicate that when the trees are cut on the 10/11 routes to Cadnam (interworked with route 6) then 3162 will move onto route 6 - but until then it has been used on routes 112 and 119. Haven't seen it in Bournemouth yet on an X1 or X2 though - but time will tell...