Wilts & Dorset
Encyclopedia
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.
The current bus company has operated since 1983. Wilts & Dorset was also the name of a former bus company, based in Salisbury
, which operated from 1915 to 1972.
.
Wilts & Dorset Motor Services Ltd was incorporated in 1915, with its head office in Amesbury
, moved to Salisbury in 1917. The company's first route was between Salisbury and Amesbury. The company grew rapidly in the Andover, Amesbury, Blandford Forum, Pewsey and Salisbury areas. The Southern Railway
and Thomas Tilling
obtained shares in 1931, with Wilts & Dorset subsequently passing into full state ownership in 1948. It acquired Venture of Basingstoke in 1950, with a reorganisation following the voluntary nationalisation of Venture’s parent, Red & White. Wilts & Dorset acquired the notable independent Silver Star of Porton Down in 1963.
Despite the name, the company's operations were mainly in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire.
In 1963 the management of Wilts & Dorset was passed to Hants & Dorset, a neighbouring state-owned bus company. Both companies passed to the National Bus Company in 1969. In 1972 the Wilts & Dorset name was abandoned, and operations were merged under the Hants & Dorset name. As a minor concession, the combined fleet adopted a red livery akin to Wilts & Dorset's, Hants & Dorset's heretofore being green.
introduced the Transport Act 1985
which in 1986 privatised bus undertakings and deregulated bus services
. In preparation for privatisation, in 1983 National Bus Company divided Hants & Dorset into three operating companies, one of which was Wilts and Dorset Bus Company Ltd.
The new Wilts & Dorset company's operating area was considerably larger than its older namesake, including Swanage, Poole, Bournemouth, Lymington and Salisbury, although not Basingstoke.
, Oakfield Travel and Stanbridge & Crichel Bus Company were acquired in 1993 and 1994, and were combined and retained as a low-cost subsidiary under the Damory name. Coach companies Tourist Coaches, Levers and Kingston Coaches were also acquired and a similar policy was followed, with the Tourist name used for the operations; in 2003 Bell's Coaches were added.
In 2003 Wilts & Dorset was sold to the Go-Ahead Group
. This was the existing management team's preference, owing to the way in which Go-Ahead continued to foster individuality. A period of expansion occurred from November 2005 with the adoption of quality 'more' services, competing with what is now Transdev Yellow Buses
. Other incursions eastward to Bournemouth at the time were soon withdrawn, however. After Southern Vectis
(SV) and sister company Solent Blue Line
were purchased by Go-Ahead
in late 2005, a Go-Ahead inspired south coast reorganisation in 2006 brought Wilts & Dorset's management, along with SV and SBL, as part of the new Go South Coast
division. All continue to trade under their local names, but this partnership has resulted in buses being moved from depot to depot and from company to company.
In June 2006, Wilts & Dorset conducted 'a big network change' in the Poole area, with some routes merged with others, some renumbered or some withdrawn. Subsequently, further rationalisation has taken place, with a number of long-established routes being fundamentally changed, withdrawn or passed to other operators.
In 2011, Wilts & Dorset will have introduced smart card
ticketing systems, to replace the standard paper ticketing which is in current use. This system is similar to what is found on an Oyster card
used in London, and can be topped up over the Internet. The smart card system is currently being tested and programmed.
, West Hampshire
and South Wiltshire
.
In December 2006 Wilts & Dorset were fined £28,000 after a check of 1,000 journeys between November 2005 and January 2006 found many services ran late and some did not turn up at all.
, Bournemouth
and Christchurch
and services 155, 156 and 157 between Poole
and Canford Heath
. The service was originally due to launch in October 2004 but due to a driver shortage this was postponed until December 2004. The service launched with 30 Volvo B7RLE
/Wright Eclipse Urban single-deck buses. 'More' buses carry a livery of mostly dark blue with red at the back; the original 30 also carry slogans such as "looks like a bus, works like a dream". All 'more' buses are air-conditioned.
Such was the success of the 'more' services it was decided that the frequency on the m1 and m2 routes was to be increased and the m1 extended to the Castlepoint shopping centre
on the outskirts of Bournemouth
from the Bournemouth Travel Interchange (the railway station
). With only 30 'more' branded buses in the fleet at the time, the 'more' branded routes to Canford Heath were discontinued, with the 'm' dropped from the route number and standard liveried vehicles used. For these routes to become 'more' route again a batch of Mercedes-Benz Citaros were ordered. The original 'more' buses were going to be Citaros, but it was thought that Volvo would offer a quicker delivery time. Further changes to the routes occurred on 25 May 2008, with the m2 being withdrawn from Burton and Somerford.
From 30 May 2008, the m1 and m2 has run every half hour throughout the night on Fridays and Saturdays, operating under the 'Nightbus' sub-brand.
In August 2008, Wilts & Dorset (using the 'more' brand) sponsored the Bournemouth Air Show. There was a large amount of publicity surrounding the event, with the company's name appearing in numerous places. In March 2008, one of the 'more' buses was repainted in a special blue advertising livery to promote the event. Advertising boards appeared in many places, and in around mid-August signs for the event were stuck to most Wilts & Dorset vehicles, as well as many fellow Go South Coast
company Bluestar
buses. The other sponsor for the event was Bournemouth based Excelsior coaches.
During 2010 the "More" brand was refreshed with every bus being repainted in a slightly brighter, simpler version of the previous livery, each highlighting a good reason for using the "More" Buses for Example "morefrequent" is applied to W&D 119 HF54 HGM.
In May 2011 routes m5 and m6 were once again dropped from the 'more' brand and renumbered as routes 5 and 6.
The current 'more' routes are:
Former 'more' routes:
Dennis Dart
MPDs were transferred and repainted into Wilts & Dorset bus livery with branding applied.
Six routes use the Salisbury reds branding:
site, Beehive, to the north of Salisbury
city centre.. A second site was opened at Wilton in 2005, and two more followed, taking the total to four.. A fifth site was later opened at Petersfinger, to the south-east of the city..
Initially the routes used Optare Excel
s in a light green and white livery. In 2005 these were replaced by new Volvo B7RLE
s, also in green and white; for a short period in late 2004 the service was operated using 'more' branded B7RLEs.
In February 2011 Wilts & Dorset lost the contract to operate the Salisbury Park and Ride network to independent operator Hatts Travel.
Activ8 is a joint half hourly service between Salisbury and Andover
via Tidworth
operated in partnership with Stagecoach South
and supported by Wiltshire
and Hampshire
County Councils. The Activ8 brand was launched in February 2007. Wilts & Dorset primarily use specially branded Scania OmniCity
s on the route, having previously used Optare Spectra
s.
, having secured a second five year contract to do so during summer 2009. Since 11 January 2010, these routes have been branded as 'The Bus for Bournemouth University' or 'The Bus for BU' with buses appearing in the institution's primary corporate colours of white and pink.
An ex-London articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro bus was introduced to route U1 on 10 January 2010, primarily running a shuttle service to boost capacity between Talbot Campus and the student residences at Lansdowne. It is believed to be the first such bus in service on the South Coast.
From 2004, when the university contract originally transferred to Wilts & Dorset from Yellow Buses, until the end of 2009 services were branded as Unilinx and operated by a mixed fleet including double-deck buses painted in a modified version of the 'more' livery. Unilinx-branded buses were also a common sight on non-Unilinx services, especially on service 152 where ELC Myllennium Vyking buses ran open top throughout the summer.
- Upton
- Wareham
- Corfe Castle
- Swanage
) and 50 (Bournemouth railway station
- Westbourne
- Branksome Chine - Canford Cliffs
- Compton Acres
- Sandbanks
- Studland
- Swanage
) were formally renamed to "Purbeck Breezer". New Optare Visionaire double-deckers were bought for the routes, and were painted in a blue and green livery. Some are convertible open-top and can have their roofs removed during the summer.
The Wimborne Flyer, also known as service 3, replaced the Poole
to Wimborne section of service 132 after the major restructuring of Poole services in June 2006. It runs four times an hour Monday to Saturday. The service differs from the old service 132 by taking a direct route between Poole and Broadstone
, using a faster route through Merley
and extending the service from Wimborne Square to the Leigh Park estate. Local residents criticised the change of route, specifically through Merley where the buses took a narrower but more direct road through the estate. Some criticism has also been aimed at the Citaro buses after a number of accidents, including buses demolishing walls while trying to pass each other on a narrow road and tearing hanging baskets from walls in Wimborne Square while turning. Following numerous complaints, Wilts & Dorset rerouted the service through Merley from 29 October 2006, reverting back to part of the old 132 route through Merley Gardens. From 6 April 2008 two out of the four buses per hour started to run via Corfe Mullen
rather than Merley with all services also stopping at Broadstone Broadway. Services to and from Leigh Park only run during the morning and evening peak.
This is a frequent bus service linking Poole town centre and the hospital with the Old Town and the Quay. It is partially funded by a government grant as part of an initiative to encourage greater use of local bus services in the Borough of Poole. The service also receives sponsorship from the Dolphin Shopping Centre and Poole Town Centre Management.
Prior to the introduction of Route ONE it was not possible to travel between the Bus Station and the Railway Station entrance by bus, nor was there a bus service between the hospital and Poole Old Town and Baiter Park. The service operates every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday usually utilising Route ONE liveried Optare Solo SR. The 50p fare allows passengers to hop on and off as many times as they like in a day.
a W&D open-top bus collided with two cars between Studland
and Sandbanks
, injuring 30 people. The bus, a route 50 service popular with tourists wanting to peer over the gates to celebrities' mansions on Sandbanks, was carrying around 30 people (15 on the upper deck) near the chain ferry at Poole Harbour
. At 10.15am the Plaxton Palatine II bodied DAF DB250 bus collided with both a Volkswagen Golf
and a Porsche
, the latter of which was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus, and the other car. A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue service said at the scene that the bus "fell onto a verge" following the collision with the Porsche. A number of passengers reported the bus travelled a distance on two wheels, and the eventual toppling took place at low speed. The top-deck passengers were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch, including a two-month-old baby. Six people were taken to Poole Hospital
, including the baby and a 61-year-old woman. Four occupants of the Volkswagen were also injured. None of the injuries were thought to be serious, the worst being a broken arm. The 43-year old driver of the Porsche, Douglas Haigh, was arrested on the scene, accused of dangerous driving. He was later convicted of driving without due care and attention. The bus N14 WAL was sent for repairs at Eastleigh and entered service with Southern Vectis the following year. The fleet number was changed for 3153 to 614 and the bus was painted into Southern Vectis "Island Breezer" livery.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
company in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
covering 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...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, East Dorset
East Dorset
East Dorset is a local government district in Dorset, England. Its council is based in Furzehill, near Wimborne Minster.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of Wimborne Minster Urban District with part of the Ringwood and Fordingbridge Rural District and the Wimborne and Cranborne...
, South Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and West Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. Its local headquarters is 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...
, but it is owned 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:...
, a major UK transport group.
The current bus company has operated since 1983. Wilts & Dorset was also the name of a former bus company, based in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, which operated from 1915 to 1972.
History
The history of Wilts & Dorset is an interesting one, with its name both appearing and disappearing from the sides of buses. Its history is linked to that of erstwhile south coast operator, Hants & DorsetHants & Dorset Motor Services
Hants & Dorset Motor Services Ltd was a stage carriage bus service operator in southern England, between 1920 and 1983.-Early history:The Bournemouth & District Motor Services Ltd was incorporated in 1916. In 1920, a change of name to Hants & Dorset reflected the wider aspirations of its owners...
.
The original company
Amesbury
Amesbury is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is most famous for the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge which is in its parish, and for the discovery of the Amesbury Archer—dubbed the King of Stonehenge in the press—in 2002...
, moved to Salisbury in 1917. The company's first route was between Salisbury and Amesbury. The company grew rapidly in the Andover, Amesbury, Blandford Forum, Pewsey and Salisbury areas. The Southern Railway
Southern 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 Thomas Tilling
Thomas Tilling
Thomas Tilling Ltd, later known with its subsidiary companies as the Tilling Group, was one of the two huge groups which controlled almost all the major bus operators in the United Kingdom between the wars and until nationalisation in 1948....
obtained shares in 1931, with Wilts & Dorset subsequently passing into full state ownership in 1948. It acquired Venture of Basingstoke in 1950, with a reorganisation following the voluntary nationalisation of Venture’s parent, Red & White. Wilts & Dorset acquired the notable independent Silver Star of Porton Down in 1963.
Despite the name, the company's operations were mainly in the southern part of Wiltshire and the northern part of Hampshire.
In 1963 the management of Wilts & Dorset was passed to Hants & Dorset, a neighbouring state-owned bus company. Both companies passed to the National Bus Company in 1969. In 1972 the Wilts & Dorset name was abandoned, and operations were merged under the Hants & Dorset name. As a minor concession, the combined fleet adopted a red livery akin to Wilts & Dorset's, Hants & Dorset's heretofore being green.
Re-establishment
The Conservative Government 1983-1987Conservative Government 1983-1987
-Formation:The Conservative government was re-elected in June 1983 with a majority of 144 seats, with Labour in opposition having a mere 209 seats after its worst postwar electoral performance, seeing off a close challenge from the SDP-Liberal Alliance who came close to them on votes though not...
introduced 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...
which in 1986 privatised bus undertakings and deregulated bus services
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
. In preparation for privatisation, in 1983 National Bus Company divided Hants & Dorset into three operating companies, one of which was Wilts and Dorset Bus Company Ltd.
The new Wilts & Dorset company's operating area was considerably larger than its older namesake, including Swanage, Poole, Bournemouth, Lymington and Salisbury, although not Basingstoke.
Privatisation
Wilts & Dorset was sold to its management in 1987. The company fought off competition from Charlie's Cars and Badger Vectis. Independent operators Damory CoachesDamory Coaches
Damory Coaches is a bus and coach operator based in Blandford Forum in Dorset, England. Officially registered as Hants & Dorset Motor Services Limited, Damory Coaches is a subsidiary of Wilts & Dorset, which is itself part of the much larger Go-Ahead Group...
, Oakfield Travel and Stanbridge & Crichel Bus Company were acquired in 1993 and 1994, and were combined and retained as a low-cost subsidiary under the Damory name. Coach companies Tourist Coaches, Levers and Kingston Coaches were also acquired and a similar policy was followed, with the Tourist name used for the operations; in 2003 Bell's Coaches were added.
In 2003 Wilts & Dorset was sold to 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:...
. This was the existing management team's preference, owing to the way in which Go-Ahead continued to foster individuality. A period of expansion occurred from November 2005 with the adoption of quality 'more' services, competing with what is now Transdev Yellow Buses
Transdev Yellow Buses
Yellow Buses is a bus operator based in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, owned by the RATP Group, a company owned by the government of France. Although most routes are restricted to the Bournemouth local authority area, an increasing number are expanding into the adjacent areas of...
. Other incursions eastward to Bournemouth at the time were soon withdrawn, however. After Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis
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...
(SV) and sister company 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...
were purchased by 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:...
in late 2005, a Go-Ahead inspired south coast reorganisation in 2006 brought Wilts & Dorset's management, along with SV and SBL, as part of the new 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. All continue to trade under their local names, but this partnership has resulted in buses being moved from depot to depot and from company to company.
In June 2006, Wilts & Dorset conducted 'a big network change' in the Poole area, with some routes merged with others, some renumbered or some withdrawn. Subsequently, further rationalisation has taken place, with a number of long-established routes being fundamentally changed, withdrawn or passed to other operators.
In 2011, Wilts & Dorset will have introduced smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
ticketing systems, to replace the standard paper ticketing which is in current use. This system is similar to what is found on an Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
used in London, and can be topped up over the Internet. The smart card system is currently being tested and programmed.
Routes
Wilts & Dorset operates a large number of services in East DorsetDorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, West Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and South Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
.
In December 2006 Wilts & Dorset were fined £28,000 after a check of 1,000 journeys between November 2005 and January 2006 found many services ran late and some did not turn up at all.
More buses
More is an award winning service launched in December 2004 as part of £4 million investment. 'More' replaced services 101 to 105 between PoolePoole
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...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and Christchurch
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
and services 155, 156 and 157 between 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 Canford Heath
Canford Heath
Canford Heath is a suburb and area of heathland in Poole, Dorset with a population of just under 14,500.-Geography:Canford Heath has also given its name to a housing development built on the heathland during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s...
. The service was originally due to launch in October 2004 but due to a driver shortage this was postponed until December 2004. The service launched with 30 Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
/Wright Eclipse Urban single-deck buses. 'More' buses carry a livery of mostly dark blue with red at the back; the original 30 also carry slogans such as "looks like a bus, works like a dream". All 'more' buses are air-conditioned.
Such was the success of the 'more' services it was decided that the frequency on the m1 and m2 routes was to be increased and the m1 extended to the Castlepoint shopping centre
Castlepoint Shopping Centre
Castlepoint Shopping Centre is a retail park in Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom occupying a site containing around 40 shops, including major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, Gap, Topshop, Asda, Sainsbury's, and B&Q...
on the outskirts of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
from the Bournemouth Travel Interchange (the railway station
Bournemouth railway station
Bournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East and then Bournemouth Central , is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
). With only 30 'more' branded buses in the fleet at the time, the 'more' branded routes to Canford Heath were discontinued, with the 'm' dropped from the route number and standard liveried vehicles used. For these routes to become 'more' route again a batch of Mercedes-Benz Citaros were ordered. The original 'more' buses were going to be Citaros, but it was thought that Volvo would offer a quicker delivery time. Further changes to the routes occurred on 25 May 2008, with the m2 being withdrawn from Burton and Somerford.
In August 2008, Wilts & Dorset (using the 'more' brand) sponsored the Bournemouth Air Show. There was a large amount of publicity surrounding the event, with the company's name appearing in numerous places. In March 2008, one of the 'more' buses was repainted in a special blue advertising livery to promote the event. Advertising boards appeared in many places, and in around mid-August signs for the event were stuck to most Wilts & Dorset vehicles, as well as many 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...
company 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...
buses. The other sponsor for the event was Bournemouth based Excelsior coaches.
During 2010 the "More" brand was refreshed with every bus being repainted in a slightly brighter, simpler version of the previous livery, each highlighting a good reason for using the "More" Buses for Example "morefrequent" is applied to W&D 119 HF54 HGM.
In May 2011 routes m5 and m6 were once again dropped from the 'more' brand and renumbered as routes 5 and 6.
The current 'more' routes are:
- m1: Poole - Bournemouth - Castlepoint via Lower Parkstone, Upper Parkstone and Charminster
- m2: Poole - Bournemouth - Boscombe via Upper Parkstone
- Until 25 May 2008, this service continued to Christchurch and Burton or Somerford. This section of the route has partially been replaced by service X12.
Former 'more' routes:
- m5: Poole - Canford Heath - Tollerford Road via Oakdale
- From 4 June 2006, m5 was rerouted along Wimborne Road instead of via Park Gates
- m6: Poole - Canford Heath - Tower Park via Oakdale
- m7: Poole - Canford Heath - Nuffield Industrial Estate via Oakdale
- m7 was dropped as part of the PoolePoolePoole 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...
route restructuring from 4 June 2006. Service on m5 and m6 increased as a result.
Sailsbury reds
PulseLine was the name of services round Salisbury to the District Hospital and ran until 2010. 2010 saw the PulseLine brand rebranded as "Sailsbury reds" using the previous Mercedes-Benz Citaros repainted in the revised Wilts & Dorset bus livery with "Sailsbury Reds" branding. In addition to the Citaros, ex Southern VectisSouthern Vectis
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...
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....
MPDs were transferred and repainted into Wilts & Dorset bus livery with branding applied.
Six routes use the Salisbury reds branding:
- Red1: District Hospital - Salisbury City Centre - Bemerton Heath
- Red2: Bishopdown - Salisbury City Centre
- Red3: Bulbridge - Wilton - Salisbury City Centre
- Red4: Pauls Dene - Salisbury City Centre
- Red5: West Harnham - Salisbury City Centre
- Red6: Laverstock - Salisbury City Centre
Salisbury Park and Ride
This service began operation in March 2001 to one Park and RidePark and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
site, Beehive, to the north of Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
city centre.. A second site was opened at Wilton in 2005, and two more followed, taking the total to four.. A fifth site was later opened at Petersfinger, to the south-east of the city..
Initially the routes used Optare Excel
Optare Excel
The Optare Excel is a low-floor full-size single-decker bus manufactured by Optare.Manufactured as an integral bus, the Excel was launched in 1995 as one of the first low-floor single-deck vehicles. The styling of the body was in keeping with existing Optare products, especially at the rear...
s in a light green and white livery. In 2005 these were replaced by new Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE
Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
s, also in green and white; for a short period in late 2004 the service was operated using 'more' branded B7RLEs.
In February 2011 Wilts & Dorset lost the contract to operate the Salisbury Park and Ride network to independent operator Hatts Travel.
Activ8
- 8: Salisbury - Boscombe Down - Amesbury - Tidworth - Andover
Activ8 is a joint half hourly service between Salisbury and Andover
Andover, Hampshire
Andover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
via Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
operated in partnership with Stagecoach South
Stagecoach in Hampshire
Hampshire Bus Company Ltd. trading as Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its main bases of operation are Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.-Local:...
and supported by Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
County Councils. The Activ8 brand was launched in February 2007. Wilts & Dorset primarily use specially branded 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 on the route, having previously used Optare Spectra
Optare Spectra
Launched in 1991, the Optare Spectra is a double-decker bus body built on the DAF DB250 chassis.The vehicle was developed as a joint project between Optare and DAF; based on the designs of the successful MCW Metrobus which Optare had purchased, but they are no means a restlyed Metrobus...
s.
'The bus for Bournemouth University'
Wilts & Dorset operates four routes on behalf of Bournemouth UniversityBournemouth University
Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK...
, having secured a second five year contract to do so during summer 2009. Since 11 January 2010, these routes have been branded as 'The Bus for Bournemouth University' or 'The Bus for BU' with buses appearing in the institution's primary corporate colours of white and pink.
An ex-London articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro bus was introduced to route U1 on 10 January 2010, primarily running a shuttle service to boost capacity between Talbot Campus and the student residences at Lansdowne. It is believed to be the first such bus in service on the South Coast.
From 2004, when the university contract originally transferred to Wilts & Dorset from Yellow Buses, until the end of 2009 services were branded as Unilinx and operated by a mixed fleet including double-deck buses painted in a modified version of the 'more' livery. Unilinx-branded buses were also a common sight on non-Unilinx services, especially on service 152 where ELC Myllennium Vyking buses ran open top throughout the summer.
The Stonehenge Tour
The Stonehenge Tour was rebranded in 2008, linking Salisbury Rail Station, the city centre and Stonehenge. A recorded commentary describes the views along the length of the route. The tour is usually operated by W&D Optare Spectras which have been specially painted in a New Stonehenge Tour Livery.Purbeck Breezer
During June 2009 routes 40 (PoolePoole
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...
- Upton
Upton, Dorset
Upton is a village in south east Dorset, England. It is the second largest village in Purbeck-Geography:The village is built around a road junction where the Blandford to Hamworthy road crosses the main Poole to Dorchester road. The Poole suburbs of Hamworthy and Turlin Moor adjoin the village to...
- Wareham
Wareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
- Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
- Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
) and 50 (Bournemouth railway station
Bournemouth railway station
Bournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East and then Bournemouth Central , is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
- Westbourne
Westbourne
Westbourne could be*Westbourne, Suffolk: part of Ipswich*Westbourne, West Sussex*Westbourne, London*Westbourne, Dorset: part of Bournemouth*River Westbourne in London- Schools :* Westbourne House School near Chichester in West Sussex, England...
- Branksome Chine - Canford Cliffs
Canford Cliffs
Canford Cliffs is an affluent suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. The neighbourhood lies on the English Channel coast midway between Poole and Bournemouth...
- Compton Acres
Compton Acres
Compton Acres, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire is a housing development located to the south west of the main urban area of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the rural-urban fringe. Compton Acres also borders with the villages of Ruddington and Wilford.The name Compton Acres is taken...
- Sandbanks
Sandbanks
Sandbanks is a small peninsula or spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour on the English Channel coast at Poole in Dorset, England. It is well-known for the highly regarded Sandbanks Beach and property value; Sandbanks has, by area, the fourth highest land value in the world...
- Studland
Studland
Studland is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is famous for its beaches and nature reserve. In 2001 Studland had a population of 480, the lowest in 50 years...
- Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
) were formally renamed to "Purbeck Breezer". New Optare Visionaire double-deckers were bought for the routes, and were painted in a blue and green livery. Some are convertible open-top and can have their roofs removed during the summer.
Wimborne Flyer
- 3: Poole - Broadstone - Wimborne/Leigh Park
The Wimborne Flyer, also known as service 3, replaced the 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...
to Wimborne section of service 132 after the major restructuring of Poole services in June 2006. It runs four times an hour Monday to Saturday. The service differs from the old service 132 by taking a direct route between Poole and Broadstone
Broadstone, Dorset
Broadstone is a town and suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. It is located from Hamworthy railway station and from Bournemouth International Airport. The town has a population of 10,256 according to the 2001 Census....
, using a faster route through Merley
Merley
Merley is a large housing estate in the borough of Poole, a mile south of Wimborne Minster. Originally called Myrle, Merley was a manor in the tithing of Great Canford...
and extending the service from Wimborne Square to the Leigh Park estate. Local residents criticised the change of route, specifically through Merley where the buses took a narrower but more direct road through the estate. Some criticism has also been aimed at the Citaro buses after a number of accidents, including buses demolishing walls while trying to pass each other on a narrow road and tearing hanging baskets from walls in Wimborne Square while turning. Following numerous complaints, Wilts & Dorset rerouted the service through Merley from 29 October 2006, reverting back to part of the old 132 route through Merley Gardens. From 6 April 2008 two out of the four buses per hour started to run via Corfe Mullen
Corfe Mullen
Corfe Mullen is a village in Dorset, England, on the north-western urban fringe of the South East Dorset conurbation and is part of the rural district of East Dorset. The population is 10,147 ....
rather than Merley with all services also stopping at Broadstone Broadway. Services to and from Leigh Park only run during the morning and evening peak.
Route ONE
- Poole Town Service via Falkland Square, Poole Quay and Baiter Park
This is a frequent bus service linking Poole town centre and the hospital with the Old Town and the Quay. It is partially funded by a government grant as part of an initiative to encourage greater use of local bus services in the Borough of Poole. The service also receives sponsorship from the Dolphin Shopping Centre and Poole Town Centre Management.
Prior to the introduction of Route ONE it was not possible to travel between the Bus Station and the Railway Station entrance by bus, nor was there a bus service between the hospital and Poole Old Town and Baiter Park. The service operates every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday usually utilising Route ONE liveried Optare Solo SR. The 50p fare allows passengers to hop on and off as many times as they like in a day.
Preservation of former Wilts & Dorset buses
Many former Wilts & Dorset buses have made it into preservation. Some of these can be seen at bus rallies and events inside and outside the company's operating area.2008 Poole Harbour accident
On 31 July 2008 in PoolePoole
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...
a W&D open-top bus collided with two cars between Studland
Studland
Studland is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is famous for its beaches and nature reserve. In 2001 Studland had a population of 480, the lowest in 50 years...
and Sandbanks
Sandbanks
Sandbanks is a small peninsula or spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour on the English Channel coast at Poole in Dorset, England. It is well-known for the highly regarded Sandbanks Beach and property value; Sandbanks has, by area, the fourth highest land value in the world...
, injuring 30 people. The bus, a route 50 service popular with tourists wanting to peer over the gates to celebrities' mansions on Sandbanks, was carrying around 30 people (15 on the upper deck) near the chain ferry at Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
. At 10.15am the Plaxton Palatine II bodied DAF DB250 bus collided with both a Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
and a Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
, the latter of which was driving away from the chain ferry on Ferry Road and crashed head on with the bus, and the other car. A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue service said at the scene that the bus "fell onto a verge" following the collision with the Porsche. A number of passengers reported the bus travelled a distance on two wheels, and the eventual toppling took place at low speed. The top-deck passengers were all thrown off onto soft ground in a ditch, including a two-month-old baby. Six people were taken to Poole Hospital
Poole Hospital
Poole Hospital is an acute general hospital in Poole, Dorset, England. Built in 1907, it has expanded from a basic 14-bed facility into a 789-bed NHS foundation trust hospital...
, including the baby and a 61-year-old woman. Four occupants of the Volkswagen were also injured. None of the injuries were thought to be serious, the worst being a broken arm. The 43-year old driver of the Porsche, Douglas Haigh, was arrested on the scene, accused of dangerous driving. He was later convicted of driving without due care and attention. The bus N14 WAL was sent for repairs at Eastleigh and entered service with Southern Vectis the following year. The fleet number was changed for 3153 to 614 and the bus was painted into Southern Vectis "Island Breezer" livery.