markc
Conductor
Posts: 73
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Post by markc on Jun 5, 2020 19:15:17 GMT
Seems services in Plymouth area at least are pretty much back to pre Covid levels, main differences are 101 service now stops at all stops throughout day, perhaps pre cursor to routing through Mutley at later date and service 1 ironically is more frequent in the mornings between city and Derriford than it was even before Covid. They also have earlier Sunday services on 1 within city boundaries but for time being operate until 10/11pm rather than normal midnight/1am
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 10, 2020 15:54:28 GMT
Devon County Council has been awarded new funding of over £900,000 to increase its support for bus services. As this is a one-off payment for 2020-2021 (although the spending can be over a longer period) the Council is looking at augmenting existing services that could become sustainable going forward, either commercially or within existing support budgets and criteria. A lot of the changes restore service levels that were cut in the budget-led changes of September 2015, and include some improved Summer Saturday services for Dartmoor and Exmoor.
The County Council is examining these possible changes (current operator in brackets but may change on retendering):
EDIT: these changes have been put on hold as a consequence of Covid-19.
1 Exeter - Tiverton (Stagecoach): enhanced evening service with journeys extended from Willand to Tiverton.
3 Dartmouth - Plymouth (Stagecoach): reintroduction of Sunday service along whole route - currently a limited Sunday service operates between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge only.
4 Exeter - Axminster (Stagecoach): additional peak-hour journeys
5B Exeter - Crediton - Barnstaple (Stagecoach): reintroduction of Sunday service
6 Exeter - Okehampton - Bude (Stagecoach): funding for some journeys currently operated commercially between Okehampton and Bude but proppsed for withdrawal by operator - joint with Cornwall Council
13 Brixham - The Willows - Newton Abbot (Stagecoach): funding for The Willows - Newton Abbot section of route which the operator is proposing for withdrawal.
48 Plymouth - Wembury: reintroduction of Sunday service, operating between Wembury and Plymouth and on to Princetown. The Monday-Saturday service is supported by Plymouth City Council and operated by Plymouth CityBus, but the Sunday service would be tendered separately by Devon County Council and may have a different operator.
80/81 Teignmouth Town Services (Country Bus): extra journeys to cover lunchtime gap in service
82 Exeter - Moretonhampstead - Princetown - Tavistock (to be tendered): reintroduced Summer Saturday service operating Easter to end-October. As primarily for tourism, ENCTS passes would not be accepted.
155 Exeter - Tiverton - Barnstaple (Stagecoach): introduction of Sunday service along whole route - currently a Sunday service operates between Exeter and Tiverton only (as route 55A).
157 Exmouth - Sidmouth (Stagecoach): increase Sunday service from Seasonal to all-year-round
164 Totnes - Kingsbridge (Tally Ho!): improve to hourly frequency, early morning and evening journeys added and extra Sunday journeys, to improve train connections at Totnes. Service development jointly funded with Great Western Railway.
271 Newton Abbot & Dartmoor "Haytor Hopper" (Country Bus): enhanced Saturday timetable, and period of operation extended from Easter to end-October (currently mid-May to mid-September). As primarily for tourism ENCTS passes are not accepted.
300 Ilfracombe - Lynton - Minehead/Dunster (to be tendered): reintroduce seasonal Saturday service, to operate from Easter to mid-October. As primarily for tourism, ENCTS passes would not be accepted.
682 Marsh - Honiton (Redwood's): increased from once a week (Tu) to four times a week (M Tu W Th)
694 Honiton - Cullompton (Redwood's): increased from three times a week (Tu F Sa) to six times a week (Monday-Saturday)
885 Seaton - Axminster (Axe Valley Mini Travel): maintain existing frequency after ending of Section 106 developer contributions in October 2020
B Exeter - Exminster (Stagecoach): maintain Sunday service after ending of Section 106 developer contributions in October 2021
H Exeter St David's Station - Digby (Stagecoach): extend hourly from St David's to Cowley Bridge, made possible at marginal cost with the peak-hour uplift on route 4
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 11, 2020 16:45:33 GMT
As well as Stagecoach's revised Covid-19 timetables from June 15th, the following independent/community operators will be reintroducing full school holiday services:
Axe Valley Mini Travel, Dawlish Community Bus, Filer's Travel, Hatch Green (with a couple of exceptions), Newton Abbot Community Transport, Oakley's, Redwood's, Taw & Torridge (with one exception)
First Wessex and First-Buses of Somerset continue to operate to reduced timetables.
Carmel Coaches, Country Bus, Dartline, Dorset Community Transport, Tally Ho! and Torbay Buses have operated normal (school holiday) timetables throughout and will continue to do so. Tally-Ho! is not operating the Salcombe Park & Ride service this year.
Community Buses Bob The Bus (Totnes & district), Coleridge Bus (South Hams) and Exe Valley Market Bus (Mid-Devon) remain suspended as does Rail-River Link 100.
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 27, 2020 17:18:35 GMT
A blow for bus users in Brixham; Country Bus has cancelled its registrations for Brixham town services 15 and 16 with effect from 31st July. The services are operated with a single vehicle and driver which also operate Brixham Community College route 14 from Roselands (this is also cancelled). The cancellations come on top of the proposed withdrawal of Stagecoach route 18A which was originally planned for September, although the route disappeared in covid-19 service reductions at the end of March and has not been reinstated.
These changes will potentially leave parts of the hilly town of Brixham without convenient access to a bus service. It is unlikely that Torbay Council will step in with support, as the Council is struggling with its finances and withdrew all support for bus services a few years ago.
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 27, 2020 17:27:46 GMT
Plymouth Citycoach, the holiday and day trips company owned by Go-Ahead company Plymouth CityBus, ceased trading on 24th June. The company had been set up in the 1980s when Plymouth CityBus was still under municipal ownership. Following staff consultations, six members of staff have opted for redundancy whilst one has taken up an alternative job offer with Plymouth CityBus.
Plymouth Citycoach operated under the Bonded Coach Holidays scheme and all customers whose tours have been cancelled will receive refunds.
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markc
Conductor
Posts: 73
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Post by markc on Jun 29, 2020 14:27:25 GMT
Ironically First bus in Cornwall are now advertising for drivers in Plymouth to drive college contracts, rail replacement and Private Hire in and around the city. Perhaps they could take over Citycoach holiday business as part of this with their First Trurorian brand? It also will bring with it a base in Plymouth again apparently, from September, 5 years After they pulled out of the city selling up to Stagecoach SW
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Post by wirewiper on Jun 29, 2020 15:01:18 GMT
Ironically First bus in Cornwall are now advertising for drivers in Plymouth to drive college contracts, rail replacement and Private Hire in and around the city. Perhaps they could take over Citycoach holiday business as part of this with their First Trurorian brand? It also will bring with it a base in Plymouth again apparently, from September, 5 years After they pulled out of the city selling up to Stagecoach SW Yes it's been reported in Buses magazine that First have won a 17-route contract to run student transport for all five of the Cornwall College sites, including one in East Budleigh, Devon, from September. They may subcontract some of it out, but otherwise it would mean they return to places such as Plymouth, Newton Abbot and Exeter. I doubt that First would be interested in the Citycoach holiday business, otherwise they would have been making overtures to Plymouth CityBus with a view to buying it out. It is possible that any residual contract and private hire work might be picked up by Tamar Coaches or Tally Ho!.
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 15, 2020 8:28:30 GMT
"Bob The Bus" (the Totnes Community Bus) resumed a limited Totnes town service from 6th July on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only during shopping hours. Bus 1 runs to Bridgetown and bus 2 to Follaton every 30 minutes between 09.30 and 16.00. bobthebus.org.uk/bob-is-back-6th-july/
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 19, 2020 15:24:44 GMT
Some changes to Stagecoach services:
From Monday 13th July:
7/7A (Totnes/Torquay-Exeter) revised timetable. Due to low usage route 7A will be suspended, passengers can use bus 12 between Torquay and Newton Abbot and change to bus 7. 39 (Exeter-Newton Abbot) additional journeys between Bovey Tracey and Newton Abbot.
From Sunday 26th July
D (Exeter University-St Lukes College) limited service restored F1/F2 (Exeter City-Savoy Hill/Summerway) revised routes and timetables. Routes F1 and F2 will swap so that the F1 runs via Old Tiverton Road and route F2 via Union Road. Both routes will also operate via Stoke Hill, route L provides an alternative for Prince Charles Road. H1/H2 (Exeter St David's-Digby) revised evening timetable for hospital workers. 9A (Exeter-Lyme Regis) extra Monday-Saturday evening journey to/from Lyme Regis. 95 (Exmouth-Sandy Bay) seasonal open-top service resumes. Falcon (Plymouth-Bristol) full timetable restored (from Monday 27th).
Plymouth College route 36, Torbay open-top services 122 and 222 and night services N12, N21, N57 remain suspended.
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 23, 2020 16:46:52 GMT
Devon County Council has been awarded new funding of over £900,000 to increase its support for bus services. As this is a one-off payment for 2020-2021 (although the spending can be over a longer period) the Council is looking at augmenting existing services that could become sustainable going forward, either commercially or within existing support budgets and criteria. A lot of the changes restore service levels that were cut in the budget-led changes of September 2015, and include some improved Summer Saturday services for Dartmoor and Exmoor. The County Council is examining these possible changes (current operator in brackets but may change on retendering): EDIT: these changes have been put on hold as a consequence of Covid-19.Due to the ongoing period of financial uncertainty, the Government has approved the option of using the funding to support existing services. The service improvements will be postponed and the programme will be revisited once the longer-term stability of the bus network and the Government's long-term funding strategy become clear.
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 23, 2020 16:52:23 GMT
A blow for bus users in Brixham; Country Bus has cancelled its registrations for Brixham town services 15 and 16 with effect from 31st July. The services are operated with a single vehicle and driver which also operate Brixham Community College route 14 from Roselands (this is also cancelled). The cancellations come on top of the proposed withdrawal of Stagecoach route 18A which was originally planned for September, although the route disappeared in covid-19 service reductions at the end of March and has not been reinstated. These changes will potentially leave parts of the hilly town of Brixham without convenient access to a bus service. It is unlikely that Torbay Council will step in with support, as the Council is struggling with its finances and withdrew all support for bus services a few years ago. Good news: Torbay Council has agreed interim funding for the 15 and 16 to continue and Country Bus has voided the cancellations. Torbay Council is looking at a strategy to support such secondary routes longer-term and hopes to have this in place for the 2021-2022 Financial Year.
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Post by wirewiper on Jul 31, 2020 10:51:11 GMT
A couple of snippets:
Plymouth CityBus and Go Cornwall Bus are now under a single umbrella organisation "Go South West", although the Plymouth CityBus and Transport for Cornwall brands will still be used.
Torbay open-top service 122 between Babbacombe, Torquay, Paignton and Paignton Zoo will recommence on Saturday 1st August, to a limited hourly timetable. It is expected to end around the third Sunday in September.
Roadworks on the Tamar Bridge mean that the dedicated pedestrian and cycling route which uses the south cantilever will be suspended and opened up to all traffic from 1st August. For the duration of the works Plymouth CityBus will operate a free TB1 shuttle service in both directions over the bridge. The service is intended to carry mobility scooters and bicycles as well as passengers, and will likely be operated by Scania OmniDekkas currently on loan from Brighton & Hove as there have a large area of tip-up seating on the lower deck.
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 7, 2020 17:36:22 GMT
Plymouth CityBus is preparing for the early September timetable changes, usually a significant time for English operators as it coincides with the start of the school academic year. So far new timetables have appeared on Traveline for routes 5/5A (Saltash-Elburton), 28/28A (City Centre-Eggbuckland), 42/42C (City Centre-Derriford Hospital-Mainstone/Woolwell) and 43 (City Centre-Ernesettle). There are also changes to the 50/51 circulars with an increased frequency and new variants 50A/51A, details and timetables not yet available. Plymouth CityBus will also operate an expanded network of schools services from September, with a number of routes being take over from Stagecoach. Meanwhile, the local paper The Plymouth Herald has an online article explaining why buses from Southampton and Brighton & Hove are running around Plymouth! www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/buses-southampton-brighton-been-driving-4397469
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markc
Conductor
Posts: 73
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Post by markc on Aug 22, 2020 18:35:52 GMT
I seem to remember in Stagecoach consultation for 2020 they were to re route park and ride 101 in Plymouth via Mutley rather than Milehouse and terminate x38 at Ivybridge with passengers transferred to Gold into Plymouth.
Does anyone know if these planned changes for May have been binned or just delayed until later date at all?
Also if 101 routed via Mutley what will happen to Milehouse PR, how will this be serviced?
Any ideas also why Stagecoach suddenly gave up their school services to Coombe Dean and Torbridge?
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Post by wirewiper on Aug 24, 2020 18:05:58 GMT
Stagecoach South West has announced service arrangements for when schools return in September.
In many cases, journeys which are known to carry large numbers of school and college students will be duplicated in part or in full, with the duplicate journey exclusively for schoolchildren.
Some journeys and routes that operate primarily for school and college students will become "closed".
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