Southern Vectis

www..org.uk

Serving the Isle of Wight

Click here for : Our List of Routes & Services

Click Here for: Timetables from the Official Southern Vectis website

These Volvo Olympian workhorses have been the mainstay of the Southern Vectis Double Deck fleet for a number of years, though they are getting a little old now, and an influx of new DLFs will see their role reduced as the new vehicles take over most workings on routes 2 & 3 (from DDs) and 4 & 14 (from Single Decks). The busy 7 provides a loop of West Wight and Alum bay during the summer, and is mostly Double Decked, though there are some single deck workings, particularly at school times and late nights. This 7 pauses at Yarmouth Bus Station, as it pauses on it's clockwise loop.

Go Ahead's new Southern Vectis livery as shown off by this Coach Seated Olympian DD on the 6, now increased to hourly daytimes between Newport and St Lawrence via Blackgang.

Here's the reason for Single deckers on what is now the 1, and short ones at that being required for all services to Cowes Pontoon. They meet Red Funnel Red Jet ferries to/from Southampton on this small quay, which is always packed with taxi's and parked cars, and the only way onto the Pontoon is under the low archway in the background. An early evening 2 journey illustrates the restriction.

Converted Bristol VRs still operate open top journeys on the Island, though they have at least one open top Single decker (!!) which is also deployed on occasions. Just returning from the stunning views at Needles Battery is this 42 at Alum Bay on the 'Needles Tour'

Tickets

Southern Vectis has the dubious honour of the Most expensive 1 day Explorer type tickets in the area that we cover, with the least 'other company' availability, and they go up in leaps and bounds every year!

Rovers: Oct 2007 Prices: Adult £10, Child (5-13) £5, Family £20. Also 2 day: Adult £15, Child £7.50; 7 or longer days known as a "freedom ticket" 7 day: Adult £20.00, Child £10.00. 28 day: Adult £70, Child £35.00.
No longer Also valid on: Island Line trains (though they used to be....)
Now some service operate 24 hours, tickets are officially valid until 5am on the day following expiry.

Evening Rover: (Oct 2007) No longer exists, but after 7pm Sun to Thurs max return fare anywhere on the Island is £3, by any reasonable route.

More Help

Southern Vectis Travelshops are located in Newport Bus Station and Ryde Bus Station. Isle of Wight bus guides used to be 50p but are now free!

Southern Vectis Enquiries (01983) 827000

Southern Vectis operates from depots in Ryde and Newport, previously also Freshwater and Ventnor (and before that also Shanklin!!). The Ventnor premises is still owned (as at 2007) and used for storage of open top buses and a coach through the winter period, none of the usual "run-out" is now kept there. The Sandown and Shanklin Road Trains (which are also operated by Southern Vectis) live at Seaview Services in Sandown,

I am very grateful to the Southern Vectis Operations Manager for his assistance with current operating information and some pics...

London . Cornwall . Devon . Kent . Isle Of Wight . Southern National . Wilts & Dorset . Bournemouth Yellow Buses . Isle Of Wight . HampshireBus . Solent BlueLine . First Hampshire . Coastline . Arriva Surrey & West Sussex . Brighton & Hove . Metrobus . South Coast Buses . Eastbourne

www.buses.info Home Page (also at www.buses.org.uk)
Operators Index . GBBTT . Explorer Tickets . Recommended Clubs . Links

Send mail to webmaster@buses.info with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2009 www.buses.info. Photographs or other content from this site may not be reproduced elsewhere without the express permission of the webmaster.
Those who steal our pictures for use on other sites will be dealt with by our legal representatives.
Last modified: April 28, 2009