An independent Hampshire bus company has launched a new service between Southern Eastleigh, Parkway, Mansbridge, West End and Hedge End.  Eastleigh based Xelabus Ltd will operate the new X4 service with a frequency of every 30 minutes on weekdays and an hourly service on Saturdays.  The X4 will connect the existing X7 route Chandlers Ford and Velmore.

In planning the new service, Xelabus Managing Director Phil Blair and Operations Director Gareth Blair have arranged with the Haskins Garden Centre at West End to incorporate a Bus Stop within the car park so that bus passengers can travel more conveniently to the popular destination garden centre and the Hobbycraft Store on the site.

“We can now offer convenient, greener travel to Haskins and Hobbycraft that will benefit shoppers and the community,” said Gareth Blair. “We are delighted that Haskins have supported the new X4 route by allowing us to use what is one of the few bus stops within a garden centre in the county. ”

Matt Hill, General Manager at Haskins, said that he is to encourage the new Xelabus service: “To encourage bus travel we will be offering free teas and coffees to all Xelabus passengers with vouchers issued by bus drivers in the first few weeks of the new service.

"Until now only a small minority of visitors to the centre travel on public transport.  You could say that this is a 'Blooming good new bus service for those who want be greener in their travel arrangements'.”

Photo Caption: (from left) Xelabus Operations Director Gareth Blair and Haskins Restaurant General Manager Ben Harrison with X4 Bus stop at Haskins.