BUS WARS YEAR ONE

BUS WARS YEAR ONE

IB Optare Solo 241 YN04 LMK on the new 19A short journey to Dales Road.

66850 Volvo B7RLE MXO5 CHD one of the five B7RLE'S bought in for the new town services in late July 2012, seen on the 61 to Greenwich on Monday.

It's just over a year since First Ipswich went up against Ipswich Buses on selected town routes, so what's happened since then well, Ipswich Buses have axed the 6A to Gainsborough and the 17 to Ipswich Hospital which will finish on Friday, while First announced recently that from the 1st September the 88 from Stowmarket will no longer extend to the Hospital via Spring Road, leaving the people once again with no service along a main road. In terms of the other routes the 55/56 to Broke Hall/Bixley remains a waste of time, partly due to Ipswich Buses restarting the 4 to Bixley also the adult fare is cheaper at £1.40, why create two routes which previously covered one, and the annoying thing for me is the lack of timekeeping with the First drivers generally unable to keep to the timetable, with early departures in the main partly admittedly due to the generous time allowed to get round Broke Hall estate. Service 70 which was brought into compete with IB on the 3 to Sainsburys stills seems sparsely used, again cheaper fares. With First losing the Park and Ride what's next  will they compete on other IB routes, we will keep our eyes open.