Morebus to take on further Yellow Buses routes

Managing director Andrew Wickham announced Morebus will now be operating services 18, 33 and 36. 

As reported, Morebus agreed to take on Yellow Buses’ main routes before it went into administration, including 1/1b, 1a, 2, 4, 5/5a, 6/6a and 737. 

Read more: Morebus to take on main routes served by Yellow Buses

Read more: Timeline of Yellow Buses collapse into administration

From Saturday, August 6, Morebus will be taking over 13 former Yellow Buses routes after the company dramatically collapsed yesterday. 

Mr Wickham said: “In addition to Morebus’ new commercial services starting tomorrow, we will also begin operating BCP Council tendered services 18, 33 and 36. These also start tomorrow.

"It is important to note that these are not the same timetables and in some instances, the route has been slightly altered.  

"These timetables are the basic frequencies we can offer to begin with, using available buses and drivers.  

"We will review if we can offer better frequencies in the near future once we have the resources to do so."

Morebus held a recruitment day at The Village Hotel opposite Royal Bournemouth Hospital where more than 90 former Yellow Buses drivers attended to sign up for a job – as well as the £3,000 welcome bonus. 

Yellow Buses routes now served by Morebus as of Saturday, August 6: 

Route 18 - Bournemouth to Broadstone via Westbourne, Upper Parkstone, Dale Valley Road, Canford Heath, Waterloo Estate & Hillbourne up to every Hour Monday to Saturday 

Route 33 - Bournemouth to Christchurch via East Cliff, Boscombe, Littledown, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Southbourne, Broadway & Kings Avenue up to Hourly on Monday to Saturday 

Route 36 - Talbot View Estate to Kinson via Bourne Valley, Bournemouth, Glenferness Avenue, Fern Barrow, Wallisdown, Turbary Park Avenue & Anchor Road up to Hourly Monday to Saturday 

Routes 1/1b - Bournemouth to Christchurch, Two Riversmeet via Boscombe, Fishermans Walk, Southbourne (1) OR Cranleigh Road (1b) and Tuckton up to every 30 minutes each. Common sections of the routes will be every 15 minutes. The Westbourne, Branksome & Poole sections will not operate but our more bus m1/m2 routes serve these areas up to every 7 minutes. 

Route 1a - Bournemouth to Somerford via Boscombe, Iford, Barrack Road & Christchurch up to every 15 minutes. The section that used to operate to Highcliffe & New Milton will not run, but customers can use the existing more bus X1/X2 routes. 

Route 2 - Bournemouth to Castlepoint via Station, Springbourne, Boscombe, Iford, RB Hospital & Townsend Estate (although it does not serve Townsend Estate in the evening) up to every 30 minutes. The section that used to serve past Castlepoint to Moordown, Kinson & Bearwood will not operate but customers can use the more bus route 14 between RB Hospital, Castlepoint and Kinson instead.  Route 6a will connect Kinson and Bearwood. 

Route 4 - Bournemouth to Castlepoint via Station, Winton, Moordown & Muscliffe up to every 30 minutes. This route will then continue as a route 2, so for those needing Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Iford you can stay on the same bus.  However, it will not continue to Christchurch. 

Routes 5/5a - Bournemouth to Kinson via Station, Charminster, Winton, Ensbury Park, East Howe (5), Cunningham Crescent (5) OR Columbia Road (5a), Maclean Road (5a) and Moore Avenue. Will run up to every 30 minutes on each route, and every 15 minutes on the common sections. 

Routes 6/6a - Bournemouth to Bearwood via Station, Winton, University, Wallisdown, & High Howe up to every 30 minutes. Extending beyond Bearwood to Wimborne (6) and Kinson (6a) up to every hour 

Route 737 - Bournemouth to Airport via Station, Winton, Moordown, Parley & Aviation Park. There will be 2-morning journeys to Airport and 3-afternoon journeys returning.