The current fuel situation, affecting the Isle of Wight and the rest of the UK, is proving a challenge for car drivers across the region – but there is no need to panic, according to local bus chief, Andrew Wickham.
With petrol stations buckling under the strain of increased demand, Southern Vectis’ managing director is encouraging local people to take the bus instead.
Andrew says:
“As many people are aware, the current issue isn’t actually due to a shortage of fuel – it is more about car drivers changing their fuelling habits because they have concerns they may run low. This has prompted queues at fuelling stations – with some running out of petrol and diesel needlessly.
“At Southern Vectis, many people rely on our services to transport them across the island and I am pleased to report that we are continuing to fuel our low emissions vehicles as we always have. As a result, we are largely unaffected by those who have created this short-term shortage of retail fuel.
“We have sufficient stocks and supply-chain assurances, and we expect our buses to be unaffected by these issues. With this in mind, I would encourage those who might usually drive their cars to work, or across the island for other reasons, to leave their vehicles at home and travel with us instead.
“A double decker bus has the potential to remove up to 75 cars from our roads – which could lead to reduced congestion and improved air quality”.
Good thinking. You may have to put on extra buses on certain routes. The number 7s to West Wight in the afternoons are usually packed with hardly any spare seats.
Sorry, I can’t afford to use the bus every day. I’d love to but the fares are simply prohibitive.
A single bus ticket for one stop to the next stop is ridiculously expensive (£3.50). But a one week rover ticket with unlimited travel is I think about £20 (please correct me if I’m wrong).
I think that this is pretty cheap when compared to the price of petrol at the moment.
Busses don’t go to where I need to be and can’t get weeks shopping on couldn’t even carry.
Can you take me to Havenstreet please???
Ahhh yes, the cheap island busses. I think I’d need to get another job to fund my journeys on those expensive things.
Southern Vectis need to clean the interior of their buses rather than just continually loop out the message that their buses are safe and clean. They are not….
Also “tap on – tap off” with a visa card only works if the driver doesn’t log you out before you get a chance to “tap off” resulting in an incorrect charge to the end of the route.
They need to make mask wearing mandatory. Hardly anyone bothers now, especially the obviously arrogantly ignorant, talking loudly the whole time, often into mobile phones and coughing into the air, one young woman guilty of this last week,no reason why she couldn’t wear a mask, she can put false eyelashes on but cant wear a mask, so no disability. I’ve had to get off the bus as don’t feel safe with the behaviour of certain passengers. As for the prices, from what I see,, not many people get on to pay, most seem to have bus passes.
Underpants can’t catch a fart and you think face masks work?
We have just been to Devon , a twenty minute journey for three (the dog went free ) cost nine pounds for all of us there and back
Can’t believe you got to Devon in 20mins on a bus that’s amazing
Well that was my first post , I meant to say for the same journey time over here it it would cost 3.50 each way per person
A twenty minute journey in my car with three people and a dog would cost me £2 at the most.
£2,50 Newport to Northwood, single journey, Day return is the same price as 2 singles.
Still cheaper and quicker than using a Beryl though.
But, for me to get from home to work, 2 busses and plenty of walking, not for me. 12 minute drive compared to nearly 1 hour by buss and walking.
With more people using the buses now, and more people not wearing masks, it is absolutely vital to have all the windows open on the buses for a through draft. I would rather have fresh air than a virus. It would really help if the drivers checked and opened the windows before setting off each time.
I think that they already do or did.
But all the oldies with there masked on keep shutting them, moaning about the breeze and draught etc.
They are quite choosy when it comes to which rules to follow, nothing but hypocrites !!!!
I’ve seen plenty of people of all ages get on and start slamming windows shut. Also a lot of old people don’t always wear masks anyway, or if they do, some wear them under their nose, or even worse, chin.
There are notices on the windows saying the windows need to be kept open, but this won’t work, especially in the colder weather or rain, because there are too many bolshie types who will just close them anyway, so the company should make sure the windows can’t be closed, they need to be permanently wedged open so that ignorant passengers can’t close them.
Why should I walk half a mile to the nearest bus stop in the pouring rain to wait for ages for a dirty, smelly, overpriced bus just to line the coffers of a rip off company? No, I will use the car thanks and buy fuel when the selfish “panickers” have finished.
No way I’m getting on a bus with filthy unwashed muggles.
If the buses were more reliable, and not every hour on a main route, then maybe more people would. I live on a main road and no bus comes down the main road.
When will they be electric?
Last I checked, diesel was the most polluting of fuels.
Good point Martin, the same should be said for the floating bridge, for which the Council chose an oil burner.
For decades now there have been viable battery-electric and flywheel-electric systems available, where recharging takes place at stopping points en-route. – Zero emissions instead of diesel particulates and other nasties..it’s not rocket science – never was..
Just waited for over an hour for the no7 as the 11:30 at Totland to Newport was cancelled without warning. Live update on the app just defaulted to the next bus which was also late.
I think I’ll use up some precious diesel next time in the car….