Bus users in Hedge End and Botley will benefit from co-ordinated timetables and integrated tickets, thanks to a joint initiative between Bluestar, fellow bus company Velvet and the local authority.
 
The moves were prompted by discussions between Bluestar and Eastleigh Borough Council over planned changes to our Bluestar 3 bus service linking Botley and Hedge End, which will take effect on 21st February.
 
Eastleigh Borough Council were able to bring Velvet - who also operate services between Botley and Hedge End - to the table to reach a pioneering agreement on tickets and service frequencies. 

In the past the two companies' timetables have been planned completely separately, leading to uneven gaps between buses and long waits for passengers, and tickets bought on one route could not be used on the other.
 
Adjustments to both companies' timetables means that Bluestar 3 and Velvet route A will combine to offer a half hourly service along the route linking Botley, Oaklands Estate, Hedge End Village, Wildern Lane and the Sainsbury's/Marks & Spencer stores at Hedge End Park.
 
To make the new service as convenient as possible for users, both bus companies have also agreed to accept each other's return tickets.
 
Councillor David Airey - Cabinet Member for Transport and Streetscene for Eastleigh Borough Council - commented at the launch of this ground-breaking agreement, "the positive approach shown by both bus companies proves that successful partnership between private operators and the local authority really does deliver more convenient services for public transport users."