Scania OmniDekka UL55 UNO, on route 614. |
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| Slogan | 'the university bus for everyone' |
| Parent | University of Hertfordshire |
| Founded | Various |
| Headquarters | Hatfield Business Park |
| Locale | Hertfordshire, London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Brent, Luton |
| Service area | Greater London Hertfordshire |
| Service type | Bus |
| Routes | 42 |
| Hubs | Hatfield, St Albans |
| Fleet | 90 |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Web site | http://www.unobus.info |
Uno (formerly UniversityBus) is a bus service operated by the University of Hertfordshire, England, serving members of the general public, and also its own students and staff (at a discounted rate). The service was set up in 1992, growing out of a shuttle service previously operated for students at Wall Hall college near Watford connecting them to the other campuses of the University and the Polytechnic (Hatfield) before it.
It provides student transport to the expanding university from local areas as well as improving east-west travel across Hertfordshire and has opened up new links from North London. Services have expanded rapidly as the University has closed outlying sites at Watford and Hertford and developed the new de Havilland Campus on the site of the former Hatfield airfield. Other developments on this site, including business premises for companies such as Veolia, DHL and T-mobile have also provided passengers.
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Uno, whose legal title is Universitybus Limited, was set up as an 'arms length' company by the University of Hertfordshire in 1992. It has its own Board of Directors and is expected to run on a fully commercial basis.
In 2005 it was re-branded "Uno" and the buses were painted in pink and purple, a departure from the previous black and white colour scheme. According to the University's student newspaper "Universe", the reason for the re-branding "is to have a name that reflects the wider market the buses serve in the community, basically not just for the inhabitants of the University of Hertfordshire".
Shortly after buying the St Albans operations of Centrebus (Holdings) UNO helped to found a voluntary partnership of local authorities, the university and the bus and rail operators serving the city with the aim of co-ordinating and improving public transport across St Albans. The partnership uses powers under the most recent Transport Act as a Quality Network Partnership(QNP)but will be known publicly as 'Network St Albans'. Uno is now the second largest bus operator in Hertfordshire.
On 20 April 2009 Uno recast many of its services to integrate a number of the former Centrebus routes. Further changes occurred from 28 September 2009, following the opening of the new University Of Hertfordshire Forum. These changes included significant improvements to late evening services and the extension of operating hours until as late as 3:30 am on some routes. The main timetable change each year takes place in September to coincide with the start of the school, college and university academic year.
The current Uno network is as follows[1][2][3]:
| Route Number | From | To | Notes | Timetable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Shuttle | Hatfield Southway Park & Ride | University Of Hertfordshire DeHavilland Campus | Between every 5 and 10 minutes Monday to Friday daytimes and early evening. | Link |
| Night Shuttle | Hatfield Salisbury Village | University Of Hertfordshire College Lane | Every 15 minutes Monday to Friday late evening (continues operating until 3.30am). | Link |
| Leisure Shuttle | Hatfield Salisbury Village | University Of Hertfordshire College Lane | Every 15 minutes Saturday and Sunday (continues operating until 3.30am Saturdays and 1.30am Sundays). | Link |
| 2 (Hemel Hempstead) | Hemel Hempstead Woodhall Farm | Hemel Hempstead Chaulden | Every hour Sunday evenings. Monday-Saturday daytime service operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. Monday-Saturday evening service operated by Redline Buses. Sunday daytime service operated by Centrebus. Under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 3 (Hemel Hempstead) | Hemel Hempstead Woodhall Farm | Hemel Hempstead Chaulden | Every hour Sunday evenings. Monday-Saturday daytime service operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. Monday-Saturday evening service operated by Redline Buses. Sunday daytime service operated by Centrebus. Some journeys listed as being run by Centrebus may be run by Uno and vice versa. Under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 4/5 (Hemel Hempstead) | Hemel Hempstead Woodhall Farm | Hemel Hempstead Chaulden | Every hour Sundays. Monday-Saturday daytime service operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. Monday-Saturday evening service operated by Redline Buses. Under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 101 | Luton Church Street | Hatfield The Forum | From 28 March 2011. 2 return journeys on Mon-Sat evenings. Under contract to Hertfordshire County Council between Stevenage & Luton Only. | Link |
| 301 | Hemel Hempstead Bus Station | Stevenage Lister Hospital | This service runs approximately hourly Monday to Saturday evenings under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. All daytime and Sunday evening journeys are operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. | Link |
| 304 | St Albans Railway Station | Kimpton High Street | Three return trips on Sundays only under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. All weekday journeys are operated by Arriva Shires & Essex. | Link |
| 341 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage | Ware Station Road | Two hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes. Provides joint hourly frequency with route 641 between Hertford and Hatfield in term times. | Link |
| 404/405 | Welwyn Garden City Bus Station | Hatfield South Hatfield Bishops Rise | Hourly Monday to Saturday evenings and Sundays only under contract to Herts County Council. | Link |
| 600/650 | Hatfield Railway Station | Hatfield Hatfield Business Park Frobisher Way | Runs in a circular direction only every 7–8 minutes Monday to Friday peak times. | Link |
| 601 | Welwyn Garden City Bus Station | St Albans St Peters Street | Half hourly Monday to Friday daytimes. Free travel provided for Oaklands College students. | Link |
| 602 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage or Hatfield Railway Station | Watford Town Centre | Half hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, hourly evenings and Sundays. One morning journey starts back from Borehamwood on Mondays to Fridays. Additional hourly evening services operate Monday to Saturday term times between St Albans and Welwyn Garden City. On Sunday afternoons and evenings a half hourly service is provided between Hatfield Station and the University of Hertfordshire Campuses (this direction only). | Link |
| 603 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage | Welwyn Garden City Bus Station | Every twenty minutes Monday to Friday daytimes, half hourly Saturday daytime. During University of Hertfordshire term time, extra buses on this route run to and from Hatfield Station only, giving a 10-minute frequency on the uno 603 between Hatfield Railway Station and University of Hertfordshire College Lane. | Link |
| 607 | Hatfield Railway Station | Hatfield Salisbury Village | Half Hourly. Operates Daily | Link |
| 610 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage | Enfield Town Church Street | Half Hourly Monday to Friday daytimes, only serves stops between Potters Bar & Enfield During Peak. On Saturdays operates hourly between Hatfield The Galleria and Potters Bar High Street. | Link |
| 614 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage | Queensbury Underground Station | runs in conjunction with route 644 to provide a bus every thirty minutes on weekdays and hourly on Saturdays | Link |
| 615 | Hatfield Town Centre or Frobisher Way | Stanmore Rectory Lane Church | Hourly Monday to Friday, runs half-hourly during peak and hourly on Saturdays. Now Under Contract to HCC | Link |
| 620 | Hatfield Hatfield Town Centre | Redbourn Ridgedown | Hourly Monday to Saturday daytimes, certain peak hour journeys continue to or from Hemel Hempstead. Evening service provided by Arriva. | Link |
| 621 | Hatfield Hatfield Town Centre | Watford Town Centre | Hourly Mondays to Saturday daytimes. There is no service between St Albans and Hatfield on Saturdays. Replaced part of route 320. | Link |
| 622 | Hatfield The Forum | Watford Town Centre | Every Two Hours Monday to Friday daytimes | Link |
| 625 | Letchworth Jackmans Estate | Stevenage North Herts College | Hourly Monday – Friday. Under Contract to North Herts College. | [1] |
| 634 | Hatfield Business Park | Hemel Hempstead Rail Station | Hourly Monday – Friday daytimes. Offers a 2-minute-transfer to bus 635, that will continue to Lister Hospital. | Link |
| 635 | Letchworth Grange Estate | Hatfield, Hertfordshire The Forum | Hourly Monday – Friday. | [2] |
| 636 | Hatfield University of Hertfordshire The Forum | London Colney | Approximately hourly Monday – Friday daytimes, peak hour service continues to and from Leagrave. Evening service operates between London Colney and Hatfield | Link |
| 641 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage | Broxbourne Railway Station | No Longer operates, see service 341 | |
| 644 | Hatfield | Wembley Park | runs in conjunction with route 614 to provide a bus every thirty minutes on weekdays and hourly on Saturdays | Link |
| 655 | Hatfield Hatfield Bus Garage or Frobisher Way | Borehamwood Manor Way | Hourly Monday – Saturday daytimes. | Link |
| 658 | St Albans City Centre | Borehamwood Ripon Park | Hourly Monday – Saturday daytimes, joint 30 min frequency between St Albans and London Colney with route 659. One school journey in either direction diverts to St Albans Drakes Drive. Was part of 602. | Link |
| 659 | St Albans City Centre | London Colney Sainsbury's | Hourly Daily, joint 30 min frequency between St Albans and London Colney with route 658. | Link |
| 700 | Stansted Airport | Stevenage Bus Station | Daily evey 2 hours. Limited stop service, under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 712/714 | Hatfield | London Victoria | 4 journeys operated by Uno, 1 journey operated by Arriva The Shires (each way). | Link |
| 813 | Watford Town Centre | Garston St Michael's School | One return journey school days under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 826 | Hatfield Beales Hotel | Potters Bar Dame Alice Owen School | One return journey school days under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| 870 | Weston Red Lion | Letchworth Fearnhill School | One return journey school days under contract to Hertfordshire County Council[4]. | Link |
| 884 | How Wood Penn Road | St Albans Sandringham School | One return journey school days under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| HA1/HA2 | Harpenden | Harpenden | Mon-Sat. Harpenden local service. | Link 1 Link 2 |
| PB1 | Potters Bar Shillitoe Avenue/Rushfield | Potters Bar Oakmere Estate | Every 30 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. No Sunday service. Operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council on Saturdays. | Link |
| S1 | St Albans St Peters Street | St Albans Mile House Estate | Every 20 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. Runs this direction only. Some journeys operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| S2 | St Albans St Albans Station | St Albans New Greens Estate | Every 20 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. Runs this direction only. Some journeys operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| S3 | St Albans St Peters Street | St Albans Jersey Farm Estate | Every 20 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. Some journeys operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| S4 | St Albans City Centre | St Albans Cottonmill | Every 30 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. Circular. Operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| S5 | St Albans City Centre | St Albans Cottonmill | Every 30 minutes daytime Monday-Saturday. Circular. Operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
| S8/S9 | St Albans Verulam Estate | St Albans Marshalswick | Every hour Monday-Saturday daytimes. Operated under contract to Hertfordshire County Council. | Link |
In March 2008 Uno bought Centrebus's St Albans garage, taking over all Centrebus routes operating from there, including the S St Albans City route network, PB1 (a Potters Bar local route), various routes connecting St Albans with outlying towns and housing estates and a number of schools services provided under contract to Hertfordshire County Council.
In April 2009 several former Centrebus services were intregated into the main network (mainly as services 620 and 621) while a further route (304) provided under contract to Herfordshire County Council was transferred to Arriva Shires & Essex.
In March 2010 some of the smaller local routes around Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City, that only ran a couple of times a day or one day a week, were lost to Sullivan Buses[5]. The evening 620 service contract was also lost to Arriva Shires & Essex. The 694 service, introduced in September 2009 as a park-and-ride service between College Lane and Stanborough Lakes, was axed, presumably due to low passenger numbers. A further timetable change was made, as is customary to coincide with the start of the 2010-11 academic year in September 2010.
Uno operates from a head office and garage in the Hatfield Business Park. The garage and offices were purpose built and opened in 2003. Following the takeover of Centrebus' St Albans operations, Uno continued to operate them from the St Albans garage. However, this was subsequently closed and operations centralised at the Hatfield location.
Current bus types in use with Uno[6]:
Previous bus types used by UniversityBus/Uno
The company participates in various county-wide ticketing schemes where appropriate, such as PlusBus (discounted combined rail and bus tickets), Intalink Explorer (a £8 ticket allowing unlimited travel around Hertfordshire), discounted travel for children with a Hertfordshire SaverCard. There are buses decorated specially to advertise both the Explorer and PlusBus ticketing schemes owned by Uno.
It also provides a day ticket for £5 which allows you to travel on any Uno buses unlimited for a whole day. But not between Baldock and Stanstead Airport on route 700.
On 18 July 2010, there was a fare increase affecting almost every route. Most fares (controlled by Uno, i.e. not PlusBus or Explorer) increased by 5-10p, some more, some staying the same. The price for a day, week or month ticket also increased slightly[8].
Oyster cards will no longer be accepted on the route 614 and 644 after 26 September 2010. Instead, children will have to show their 11-15 Oyster card to get discount travel. Adults can also get discount travel.
There is now a London Day Ticket which cost £2.50 unlimited travel or £2 for a single journey and a child ticket for £1.50 unlimited travel or £1 for a single journey but valid only on the 614/644 between Barnet and Wembley Park
From their website[9].
The web-site figures are now out of date and the company now makes approximately 6,000,000 passenger journeys a year and fleet size is up to about 90 vehicles.
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