Get one last ride in the City's old red double decker

A former traffic assistant at CityBus is opening the door to the bus for the final trip as the bus operator cuts its operations in Southampton.

Wanting to awake nostalgic memories of the old city buses, Philip Bair a former traffic assistant for CityRed has organised a farewell trip for the public and staff to say goodbye to its bus operator.

In November the bus operator announced it will be ending its services in Southampton this year with the services ending on February 19.

City Red, a rebranded name for Citybus company, used to be called Southampton City Transport and before that, it was Southampton Corporation companies.

Stock image of City Red buses in Southampton. (Image: City Bus)

READ MORE: 'Distressing news' as City Red set to axe all services in Southampton

'I well remember my first day at Portswood'

Philip Bair, a former worker at the original Portswood Depot for the bus operator has a fully restored former corporation bus which will be driven one final time to celebrate the former city bus operator on Saturday, February 18.

Speaking of his time at the depot, Phil Blair said: “I well remember my first day at Portswood with so many staff many of whom had also worked on the trams and had worked through the ranks to become Inspectors.”

Over the years from 1975 to 1985 services became more one-man operated and conductors were slowly phased out with the last in 1981.

Phil now works with his son Gareth as a Commercial Manager at Xelabus in Eastleigh.

Speaking of the last bus trip, he said: “We really would love to ask as many former employees to join us on these trips and we hope just for one ride it will evoke memories of when the city had a bus service it was so proud of.”

The old AEC double-decker operated mainly on Shirley routes will be stopping at bus stops along the routes and people can jump on for a ride.

Planned route:

The planned route is as follows:

Service 7: Vincents Walk to Shirley.

Service 9: Shirley back to Vincents walk.

Service 15: Pound Tree Road vie The Avenue to Swaythling.

Service 13: Swaythling to The Docks.

Service 17 from Docks to Shirley and back to the city The former popular circular Service 4 from Pound Tree Road via Northam, Bitterne, Portswood, Bassett, Shirley and Regents Park back to the city.

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