The Number 7

The new timetable for the No 7 bus is available now here.

The first service leaves Bletchley bus station at 06-15 on weekdays – calling at Furzton (by the Tesco) at 06-28; Shenley Church End (Fortescue Drive) at 06-37; the Milton Keynes Central rail station at 06-45 and The Point in CMK at 06-50.

It is disappointing that there is no service which serves the first Virgin trains to London (06-23 and 06-38). The choice remains walking (OK in the summer  [if you are fit & healthy] – not so attractive in the cold and wet!) or parking the car near the station (at extortionate rates) or having someone drive you in (& then return home) – Not exactly an environmentally friendly option.

From 9-00am the weekday service leaves

Bletchley                                                -34     -04

Furzton                                                   -47     -27

Shenley Church End                            -57     -27

ARRIVING Station                              -05     -35

ARRIVING The Point                         -11      -41

ARRIVING Wolverton                       -37     -07

West of Watling Street (the leg from Bletchley via Furzton and Shenley Church End) continues at the reduced frequency, though there is a more frequent service from the station to Wolverton. Do you think we deserve better? If so drop me a line at jdavidmorgan@furzton.org.uk

Arriva App

There is an app available for use with the buses. It is provided by Arriva, so only deals with their services, but for many of the key services across Milton Keynes is the service provider.

It’s quite useful for finding the nearest stop, and when the next service is due.

Mobile ticketing is available. I have used it – but have become reluctant to use it, unless I am sure that I can recharge my iPhone during the day. I used to use it to travel to Aylesbury – but didn’t fancy finding that by the time I was ready to come home, the phone had run out of power – the consequence of which would have been, as a candid bus driver told me, “you’d have to buy another ticket, with no chance of any refund.”

However there are some good discounts on season tickets – and it is very useful when you’ve run out of change.

Details can be found at http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/app/

The Number 7 Bus

My post today was going to be like the earlier one I did on the Number 8 service, but when I went to do my research, I discovered that the timetable will change from Sunday January 19th.

A statement on the Milton Keynes website states – “New electric vehicles will be introduced on Arriva service 7. The current timetable will be amended and some minor route changes are anticipated. Further details will be announced at a later date.”

As soon as I hear more, I will update you and publish a guide to the new service.

Bus Services

It is often said that Milton Keynes was designed for the car – and not for buses. It certainly seems that way. The grid system allows speedy crossings for cars between parts of the town – but the bus service is far from ideal. I’d make two points

1 We deserve a better bus service – it is better for the environment; and for our health if more use was made of buses and trains and less of petrol and diesel driven cars. The limited oil remaining in the world would be less quickly used up – and traffic queues would waste less time.

2 While it is far from ideal – individuals can save money – and get around Milton Keynes on the services currently available.

Over the next few weeks this blog will profile the services in the city, with – I hope – useful information to help you get the best out of our buses.

Tomorrow, I will profile the Number 8 Service (from Oxley Park to Wavendon Gate).