Winchester News Online
Winchester Bus Service Delays
Buses all around Winchester are being heavily delayed or even cancelled all together, leaving the residents of Winchester running late, or completely missing their journeys.
The bus services around Winchester allow people to travel through the city, from the high street, to the residential areas such as Stanmore, and many other places. With the cost of a single ticket currently being capped at £2 per journey, more and more people are opting to use public transport when planning their trips.
However, with many of the buses having delays, sometimes even upwards of thirty minutes, the residents of Winchester who use the service are often met with disruption, and in some cases even cancellations of routes entirely.
For some people this wouldn’t be more than a minor annoyance, but for the people who do not drive, or who struggle to walk as easily as other, this is a major inconvenience.
I spoke to a student at the University of Winchester who heavily relies on the Winchester Bus Services, who told me on multiple occasions the delay/cancellations of the buses had caused problems for them, even nearly missing their finals exam at University when the service was running behind.
A reason as to why these delays are currently happening so often may be the fact that there are currently three areas in Winchester that are closed for construction. Meaning, vehicles travelling from these different areas are all being diverted through other routes, such as Romsey Road, a road which is often very congested with high amounts of traffic.
Travellers who use Winchester bus services should be advised to plan their journeys in advance, leaving extra time and maybe getting on an earlier bus to avoid disruption.
Park and ride users in Winchester will pay an extra pound per day from next month.
Winchester City Council posted “notices of variation for charges” across park & ride car parks.
It said that the price for all-day parking will increase from £3.50 to £4.50 and seasonal tickets will rise by 28%.
Some park and ride users were critical of the increase.
One woman, who uses the service regularly, said: “I’m surprised. I haven’t read anything about that at all.
“It does seem quite a steep rise.”
A tourist visiting from Canada said: “I think the service will remain high class, but it may be a hardship for some people who may find it less affordable.”
But another man, who lives in Winchester, said: “It’s so easy, it’s worth paying. I mean, where else would we park in Winchester?”
The Winchester Green Party said any increase in charges needs to be considered carefully to ensure that users are not put off using the service.
“Park and ride plays an important role in Winchester’s transport network.
“It helps reduce congestion in the city centre, supports air quality objectives and provides an alternative to driving into some of Winchester’s busiest streets.
“From a climate perspective, the long-term objective should be to make sustainable travel options attractive, convenient and accessible.
“For many residents and visitors, park and ride remains an important part of that mix, particularly for journeys where walking, cycling or conventional public transport are not practical.”
The council said it will still be free to park on Sundays but there are no buses.
Drivers can also park for free after 4pm as long as they get a ticket.
Winchester City Council was contacted for a response.
A man threw a chair and threatened bystanders in the centre of Gosport on Friday.
Police say the man, who was behaving aggressively, threw the chair on the ground and shouted threats at nearby shoppers before running away. No one was injured.
It happened just before noon, outside a Greggs Bakery on the High Street.
Hampshire Police say the man was white, bald and in his late 40s. He was wearing a baseball cap and a grey hoodie.
Officers are asking anyone who saw the incident to contact them.
Twelve people were arrested after 350 anti-migrant protestors clashed with police overnight in Gosport following reports of a small boat landing in the area.
A small number of officers needed medical treatment following the protests near Walpole car park.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest, our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible.
“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.”
Police had banned face coverings and had issued a dispersal order ahead of the protests across Gosport.
Those arrested were held on suspicion of assaulting officers or being drunk and disorderly.
The protest marks an increase in tensions within the UK after protests at Portsmouth, Taunton, Basingstoke and Glasgow in recent months.
Gosport Reform UK councilor Paul Carter told GB News: “If you think about this last night, no one really knew what was happening… I think a lot of people are really worried.”
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