A Key Moment for Citybus

One of the benefits of belonging to a larger group is having access to their IT services and products. Go Ahead have their own Smart Card brand which is being rolled out across all their national fleets and soon it will be Plymouth turn to have "The Key":
Plymouth Citybus is moving to a new smart card system known as the "key" from late July and early August we will be issuing new smart cards to replace the current ones known as the freedom card. Your new card will either be sent to the address we have on our records therefore it is very important that we have your up to date contact details, otherwise your new card could be sent to the wrong address meaning that you won't have your new season ticket ready to use when we switch over to the new system.
The new smart card system will bring to Plymouth many new benefits. For Students it will mean being able to purchase Student and child versions of our popular 7, 28 90 and annual tickets.
For all our customers purchasing our period tickets direct from us you will be able to manage your account on line via this web site. This will include the purchase of travel and seeing how you have used your card over a given period.
I am sure over the coming months we will see a lot more publicity for "The Key" but for now we have a few pages on the Citybus website:

• The Key Guide
• The Key FAQs

A bit more background information:
The Key smartcard allows passengers to buy their season tickets at self service machines in railway stations, or buy online and collect at stations in a one-touch transaction, meaning customers can enjoy faster passage through ticket barriers. In Oxford, Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company introduced a full ITSO scheme last year, and there are now over 30,000 active Key smartcards in use. Five further bus schemes are due to be implemented at Go-Ahead this year – by Go North East, where a successful pilot has already been delivered, Go South Coast, Brighton and Hove, Metrobus and Plymouth CityBus. Source

As with any major IT implementation these days there have been problems across the group where the new card has been introduced but hopefuly most of these will have been ironed out before Plymouth gets going!

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Related Links

• Customer Contact Details Plymouth Citybus

Elsewhere on the net

• John Betjeman didn't like what modernity had done to the little settlement of Slough. Public Transport Experience
• The New Bus for London will be as individually English (well, Irish) as Marmite or Beefeaters Omnibuses
• Around 4 years ago now, First's Plymouth fleet said goodbye to the last of the R-TLM batch of Marshall bodied Dennis Darts, PTOTPA
• Five Hythes all with a railway connection? fbb's tenuous transport trivia ... Public Transport Experience
• I recently spent a day on the excellent Mid-Hants Railway, otherwise known as 'The Watercress Line', rounded-off by a quick stop-off in Winchester Transport Illustrated
• By contrast to last time this year's rally and running day attracted fine weather, despite showers being in the west of England on the day Transport Illustrated
• Sometimes the blogitis disease spreads virulently, almost out of control. In this case it began with a picture of Stoke Bruern station, without the concluding "e", in a book "Last Days of Steam in Northamptonshire" Public Transport Experience
• For the first time this month, on Saturday I managed to grab some bus photos on my first visit to Shanklin in three years, and it was great to get back out with the camera. Southern England Bus Scene
• Another of Plymouth Citybus' Volvo B7s has now been branded up, with this one being put into a livery advertising the Plymouth Summer/Winter Festivals PTOTPA

coincidental

I was uploading another batch of photos and came across this one of a Volvo truck for Kuehne & Nagel which seemed familiar for some reason and then it hit me... (not the bus!)

YJ06WFR and YJ07WFR seen at the same spot, on the same day - 28 March 2011.

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Elsewhere on the net

• Going to the press with a list of unusual items lost on your buses is an amusing way of getting a little positive publicity. Omnibuses
• Now why shouldn't you find it, via the comforting contribution that we come to expect from Travel South Yorkshire? It all depends on whether you mean Norfolk Park OR Norfolk Park Public Transport Experience
• So, as we speculated back in November, London Transport is finally bringing back the roundel on its buses. Time, then, to consider an even more iconic logo. Omnibuses
• In an email exchange on the subject of Bournemouth's old bus station , colleague and transport guru Barry S Doe reported a very short bus journey he had recently taken Public Transport Experience
• There’s no doubting that the Go Ahead takeover is a good fit. It extends Go Ahead’s Oxford presence south and south east, on routes picked up either at tender or as commercial hand-ins that others have dropped. The key is that Thames Travel has been very successful at growing itself and its business. It lands Go Ahead a ready-made, steady network. Omnibuses
• Today has been the day of electric vehicles and this morning we had a range of them, including a sports car and a van, parked as Asda Kingston for the launch of Source London Leon Daniels

sorry

Sorry for the lack of posts last day or so. other things on my mind:

Major reorganisation (or job cuts as they uses to be called) at Derriford Hospital. Found out that my job is safe (this year at least) - but many friends and colleagues not so lucky.

Blogging is not my top priority at the moment.

Will be back by Saturday

Brunels Bridge - work starts

At last: A £10MILLION project to strengthen and refurbish the landmark Royal Albert Bridge is due to start on Friday. Engineers will embark on a two-year scheme to repair corrosion and strengthen hangers and girders on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic structure. The work will also see the 152-year-old bridge, which spans the River Tamar linking Plymouth to Saltash, repainted. Last year, NetworkRail, which owns the bridge, revealed the 2,200ft structure would be painted in its current "goose grey" despite calls for it to be returned to its original "off-white" hue. Exact details of the work, and the work programme, will not be released until Friday but NetworkRail has previously said that restoration work is likely to include stripping off the existing 30 or so layers of paint and then blast-cleaning the entire bridge, in what would be one of the biggest strengthening projects in the bridge's history. Ms Choong said that last year the proposal was set out and planning permission obtained and feed-back sought form the public. "We know what the concerns are and it's helped us in terms of how we shape the work," she said. "We have got approval from English Heritage and from the council that they are happy with the choices."
This Is Plymouth Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by MadPole

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Elsewhere on the net

• Bridget Phillipson is the new MP for Houghton & Sunderland South. Wikipedia tells us she was born in 1983 (so won’t remember regulated bus travel outside London), went to Oxford University and worked in the welfare sector before becoming an MP. Omnibuses
• Having reclaimed various lumps of SU from my kitchen, I managed to get the hub and drum fitted on Saturday, together with the now gleaming hubcap which has taken hours of work... 270KTA
• In St Albans, at least, a "Pink" route can be red, orange, blue, light green or dark green. In fact the only colour it cannot be is, you guessed it, pink! Public Transport Experience

Extra Big Wheel

Plymouth Citybus seem to have turned up the promotional side of things recently with yet another discount now offered for Citybus passengers:
"Here at Citybus we have yet again joined forces with a great Plymouth attraction, offering our customers a discount. This time we have teamed up with The Wheel of Plymouth, located on the Hoe. They are giving all Citybus customers a 15% discount when they show a Citybus ticket from that day, a valid smart card or staff pass. Your 15 % discount will be deducted from their standard ticket prices, which are £7.50 for adults, £5.50 for students /oap, £5.00 for children 14 and under and £1.00 for children 3 and under. There are also group prices available, which can be found on their website or from the wheels its self.

Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by Glamhag
Then we have yet another little snippet announced by Citybus:
"We are currently trialling the distribution of The Herald’s supplement ‘The Plymouth Extra’ on our buses. Currently the papers will be available free of charge on our Route 26 buses, between the city centre and Barne Barton."
I must admit I didn't realise the Extra was still going - haven't seen one for ages. I am sure First have run similar schemes in the past with the original 'lines' where some Darts were fitted with news paper 'racks' for a while. Didn’t last that long as I recall but I guess its worth another go!
On the same subject I recommend you pop across to Omnibuses post looking at another, larger promotion elsewhere

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Related Links

• Incredible Views: The Wheel of Plymouth
• Home Page: Plymouth Citybus

Elsewhere on the net

• Readers will, doubtless, remember that fbb and Mrs fbb have just returned from a holiday in North Wales. One day was spent on a circular tour by bus and train; and a splendid day it was, too. Public Transport Experience
• Our loyal reader may remember Hamble as a rather menacing doll on Playschool, replaced my a more benign Poppy in the later years of this excellent programme. Public Transport Experience
• This final part of a south Wales trilogy in fact opens a fresh three-parter for the next three reports are on the subject of steam railways. Buses will return in due course next week though. Transport Illustrated
• The Swinging Sixties! But, sadly, fbb2b never swung. Instead he indulged in the rich pleasures of exploring his newly adopted home City of Sheffield by bus. Public Transport Experience
• I always thought the term “transportation” referred to the enforced shipping of petty criminals from England usually to Australia. Indeed, wasn’t that how Australia started, as a giant penal colony? Omnibuses
• My local steam line has undergone a horrific year, having had an embankment slip sever the southern section of line between Gotherington and Cheltenham Racecourse last year. Transport Illustrated
• When you consider Clubcard, Nectar and other loyalty products, the bus industry’s been a slow adopter. When I say slow, I don’t even mean leisurely. I mean non-existent, usually. Omnibuses
• In a post-appointment interview Giles Fearnley, big cheese of First's buses, stated that he would not rule out disposals and acquisitions where appropriate. Public Transport Experience
• Work on United Counties Lodekka 651 has progressed very well over the last couple of months, but the challenge of fitting an overhauled Gardner 6LXB engine into the vehicle is currently delaying the process of 651 roaring into life once more. Busworks Blog
• With the price of diesel soaring and public spending cuts starting to bite in concessionary travel reimbursement, it’s no surprise that bus operators are feeling the pinch. Manchester Transport
• But what is the future of private preservation? Individuals or groups who have acquired a vehicle which is special for them face extraordinary costs - maintenance, storage and running costs Leon Daniels

Dal y bws i De Cymru

The buses below are all on their way out from Plymouth and heading to South Wales. 44914/20 I believe are already there. They are needed in South Wales for new competitive services lauched by First Cymru. Of course these buses were transferred to Plymouth when First started new services against Plymouth Citybus. Other buses recieved at that time have also been transferred elsewhere as the new Ugobus network which promised so much has withered away...
Of course its not all one way traffic - over the coming weeks expect to see some of the exciting buses being brought into Plymouth. Hold on to your hats...( I realise I have possibly oversold this!). This means that the mantle of "newest buses in Plymouth service" reverts back to the Citybus Enviros from 2008 - with no sign of anything newer on the horizon either. "Dal y bws i De Cymru" = Catch the bus to South Wales (according to Google anyway!)

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Elsewhere on the net

• The bus was trying to negotiate Garrett Street in which I live in, and for people who know the area, this is simply impossible to do! PTOTPA
• Three former Lothian Buses’ Leyland Olympians are passing through the BusWorks before export to Hungary Busworks Blog
• fbb has been informed that MOST service 22 buses are adorned with yellow ducks, or at least they were by the end of the first week of operation. That's better Public Transport Experience
• If the Competition Commission feels the bus industry is in a muddle, it need look no further than rail to see an absolute mess. Omnibuses
• Blackpool Trams began operating along Lytham Road in 1895 initially to Station Road with a end on connection from 1896 with Gas trams to Lytham. Fylde Bus Blog
• The oldest Tube trains running on the London Underground network will have been withdrawn by the end of next month A Transport of Delight
• Thus far, the few respondents to the government’s recently launched Red Tape Challenge seem to want to see more regulation, not less Omnibuses

Reel Nice

Nice new promotion by Plymouth Citybus:

”Here at Citybus we have joined forces with the Reel Cinema at Derry’s Cross to give our passengers money off films everyday of the week, including weekends. From May 20th just show a valid Citybus ticket and get a reduced rate on all films showing within the cinema, including 3D. Prices are simple, it’s £3.20 for 2D films and £4.30 for 3D films, saving you up to a third off normal ticket prices. Either show a bus ticket that is no longer than 14 days old, a valid smart card or staff pass to receive the discount before you purchase your tickets from the box office. Reel Cinemas have recently invested in the cinema, making the movie experience better for you. By installing full digital sound and vision in all three screens, it makes it Plymouth’s first multi screen fully digital cinema. Two of the screens are now 3D compatible, with screen one seating nearly 600 people, allowing you to enjoy new 3D film releases. For details on films and times, please visit the Reel Cinema website here Prices exclude bank holidays and are available between 20th May and 19th November 2011. “

 

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Elsewhere on the net

• The demise of a cartoon dog? Public Transport Experience
• Our ace war correspondent, Dee Akati, has just filed this report by satellite. We apologise for any poor quality in the transmission. She is embedded in a building near a secret bus shelter somewhere in the Dearne Valley Public Transport Experience
• Analysis of the Competition Commission initial report has been all over the trade press like a rash. Omnibuses
• The time it takes for paint to dry is often a limiting factor in how much can be achieved in a day or a weekend, so I've realised that if I'm to make the Royal Blue Run on June 18th (precisely a month away), lumps of 270 KTA will have to come home with me to be painted overnight. 270KTA

999 special

©John Kowalksi
Thanks to John I can finally bring you a photo of former Citybus Dart 125 now with Devon & Cornwall Police although based at Plympton Fire Station. It seems odd that despite a bit of money having been spent on a smart paint job and whatever internal fittings it has, no one has removed the Citybus day rider banners from the front windscreen!

All here now

Following on from the last post I can now confirm that all 10 of the Volvos have arrived at Milehouse. The full batch are as follows:

• 420 W509WGH
• 421 W511WGH
• 422 X556EGK
• 423 X557EGK
• 424 X558EGK
• 425 Y828TGH
• 426 Y808TGH
• 427 Y812TGH
• 428 Y813TGH
• 429 Y827TGH

Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by Steven Hughes

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Elsewhere on the net

• We like to think that in a deregulated provincial environment, bus services are free from political control. It’s tendered rather than commercial services that are influenced by the political will. Omnibuses
• A chum from Brum telephones, expressing concern about inconsistency of public transport information in the West Midlands. Shock horror! Can it be true? Public Transport Experience
• A look at towns and cities that have all had municipal fleets in past years. First up is Newport which still has a council-owned bus company, one of only ten left in Wales and England Transport Illustrated
• Occasionally, I stand waiting with a group of other hopefuls at a particular town centre bus stop. It sees frequent buses. It’s off a very awkward junction and it’s quite tight for bus drivers to swing their 40ft single decks round to the stop. In fact, it’s impossible. Drivers always overrun. Omnibuses

Incoming - eventually

©PCTAtlanteanHunter
It will be a while before any of these enter service in Plymouth. The step entrance Darts still have a while left before they are taken out of service. Cant wait to see these in the new livery though.

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Elsewhere on the net

• Every Saturday, we would head off into the town to get our weekly shopping. It seemed a very busy place back then with the pavements jammed with people. Plymouth Local History Blog
• Isca walls TGP Photos Unlimited
• A blog comment reveals a "sort" of gap filler between Olney, Stoke Goldington and Newport Pagnell; Milton Keynes service 37/37A running roughly every TWO hours. Better than nothing but still not a patch on an hourly through service. Public Transport Experience
• As news spread in the public domain last week of yet further cancellations, it would seem that operators in South Wales are confident that much of Veolia’s imploding empire could be taken on by others Omnibuses

Life After Plymouth - still going! M221EAF

©Maljoe.
First Wyvern 67301 7 April 2011 Worcester
I Came across this nice photo of First 67301 still in service in Worcester. I must admit I had thought it had long been withdrawn. It was of course Doing the standard Google thing I camer across a nice potted history of the bus:
In November 2002, First Midland Red acquired M221EAF, a Dennis Lance SLF with B40F Wright Pathfinder 320 body. This vehicle was originally new to Western National for use on their Service 82, however, she was found to be unsuitable and soon passed to Yorkshire Rider, Leeds for use on route 2B. She was later passed to First in London (First Centrewest London Buses Limited) for tendered work on Route 335 from Uxbridge depot, remaining there until passing to First Midland Red in November 2002, being sent direct to Southampton to be repainted into “Barbie2” livery before being delivered to First Midland Red at their Padmore Street depot, Worcester on Monday 9th December 2002. After arriving at Worcester depot M221EAF was kept in storage until February 2003, when she was finally allocated a fleet number, 261, and then loaned to TfL (Transport for London) for Central line rail replacement work between Epping and Central London. She was returned to Worcester depot on the afternoon of Tuesday 11th February with mechanical problems and went back into storage while the mechanical problems were sorted out. She finally entered service with First Midland Red at Worcester depot a month later, on Monday 10th March 2003. 261 was moved to Kidderminster depot in the autumn of 2003, and while there it was renumbered to fleet number 67301. In March 2005 it returned to Worcester depot.
Midlandred.net
This bus is featured as EFE 29802 in the wonderful flags livery it was new in.

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Related Links

• Unnoficial site for Midland Red Buses Midland Red.net
• M221EAF Leeds Citylink Kevsterwilson on Flickr
• M221EAF First London BristolRE2007 on Flickr
• M221EAF Western National Phil Holby Depot on Flickr

Elsewhere on the net

• With the help of Transport 2000 a campaigner is challenging the council in court, claiming that Cambridgeshire has acted unlawfully in its decision to cut its entire supported network. Cambridgeshire is one of three local transport authorities to propose this. The challenge is threefold. Omnibuses
• Back in my student days the highlight of the year was the annual bus tour organised by the Liverpool University Public Transport Society (LUPTS). Transport Illustrated
• Blow and Bother Because Blogger has been Broken : the service was restored at about 1745 on Friday 13th May. Blupdates [issue 4] has been republished retrospectively for Thursday 12th. Public Transport Experience
• fbb's plan, whilst on a motoring holiday in North Wales, based at Caernarfon, was to have at least one day without the responsibility of aiming his little tin box at wiggly roads. A tour by public transport was scheduled for Saturday May 7th. Public Transport Experience
• Too candid? TGP Photos Unlimited
• In the curious and convoluted way that infects the world of blogging, this photograph appeared a week or so ago on the Plymothian Transit site. It shows a beautifully restored Plymouth Corporation Crossley. Public Transport Experience

Preservation News

Just a quick update from Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group.
Work continues apace on preparing buses for future shows and events.
137 TCO 537 is now back from repair and repainting just awaiting its tramway fleet numbers to be applied.
458 WJY 758 has had its Keighley lettering and fleet numbers removed and temporary PCT fleet names and 458 fleet numbers applied on its brown and white livery it will be 50 later this year and is planned to get a full yellow and white PCT open top livery repaint over the winter months.
201 DDR 201C may be about to changes hands within the group .
131 STK 131T is waiting for some front suspension/shock absorber work to be done.
133 STK 133T work continues on her full restoration from top to bottom but progress has been slowed so she wont be ready this year.
141 VJY 141V has reportedly been struck by another bus at Winkleigh I don't have that confirmed she is still intended as a long term restoration project but her future being honest is hanging in the balance
168 TTT 168X has had some minor work done to her front rear view mirrors and her exit door in part preparation for her MOT
170 TTT 170X has had all Riverlink livery lettering and advertising removed today and is about to have 22 seats repaired or replaced over the course of the late summer and winter she will then also gain a cash vault as will other buses that would have originally had them. She awaits some engine and gearbox work before MOT and REPAINT hopefully over the course of the winter.
171 TTT 171X has had some tidying up work such as wheel painting etc done.
105 K105 SFJ has had its seats all replaced/refurbished and is now looking very smart internally a ticket machine is next for this bus
19 NFJ 592M no news currently
The possibility of 1 or both of the out of use stored Volvo B10M Citybuses 175/6 B175/6VDV joining the group at some point is still being explored. More details when they are available.

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Related Links

• Plymouth City Transport Preservation Group Home Page

Computer says no...

I do have a post all ready to roll but Blogger says no - service unavailable.

Hopefully it will be back on line on Friday so I can make the post when I get home from work.

I havent forgotten you all!!

--
Graham
www.plymothiantransit.com
because Plymouth needs an anorak or two


Twitter
@didbygraham
@PlymTransit

UgoPlas

Thanks to John I can bring you a photo of the latest rear advert carried on a Ugobus Dart. As far as I am aware its the first such advert carried on the Ugo branding.
(Someone is now going to prove me wrong on this...!)
The advert does actually blend in quite well with the Ugo colours!
©John Kowalski
Of course the irony of a window company advertising by covering the window of a bus will probably be lost on most passengers...
On the subject of the Ugo branding I picked up one comment on a previous post that they were told new branding was on its way for the Ugo bus fleet. They themselves were sceptical though. I did notice a reply about route branding by First Hampshire on their Facebook page:
We removed the route advertising because our fleet had changed so much it was restricting where some buses could go. However its something we're considering for the future so probably a case of wait and see :)
Of course Ugo does have the advantage of covering a few routes so it should be easier to manage than route specific branding but most First Group fleets seem to be de branding their various 'lines' at the moment.

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Elsewhere on the net

• Your rotund reporter has already commented on mixed-up times and over-complicated stop descriptions; especially the unnecessary repeating of district names. Of course, we all know why this is so, don't we? Public Transport Experience
• Preston was the centre of controversy for some time with the Competition Commission forcing Stagecoach to reverse its acquisition of Preston Bus. Transport Illustrated
• There are many paths which lead keen walkers to the summit of Snowdon, (fbb prefers the train!), one of which starts near the tiny village of Bethania on the road from Beddgelert to Betwys-y-Coed. Public Transport Experience
• On Tuesday 3rd May we had an excellent day out to Brighton on the train, we started our day on the 0856 First Capital Connect service to London Kings Cross on 365509, apon arrival at Kings Cross we took the short walk over to St Pancras to board First Capital Connect 377509 on the fast service to Brighton. Andys Bus Blog

Fare Enough?

Taking into account changes in its operating costs First Devon and Cornwall is revising bus fares across the region effective as of 15 May 2011. The changes affect most standard single and return fares. Marc Reddy, Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director, First, explains:

"We regret the need to increase the cost of bus travel but unfortunately we have no choice as our operating costs have changed.
"We have kept the increases as small as possible - and have frozen the prices of all our multi-journey tickets with the exception of the First3Day Devon and Cornwall Ticket, which was increased from 8 May.
In general most single and return adult and child fares will increase by between five and 20 pence from Sunday 15 May.

The following services are exempt from the May Fare Review: Services 31, 48, 82, X85, 303 in Devon plus the Atlantic Explorer service 8 in North Devon and Ugobus services 2, 3 and 6 in Plymouth. In Cornwall Service 300 - the open top summer service " is exempt from the Fare Review. Fare Changes

Also we have...
Due to continued increases in operating costs, such as fuel, and changes in government concessionary reimbursement our PR1 and PR2 fares will change to as follows from Monday 16 May 2011:
PR1 from The George

• Adult single to City Centre £2.25
• Adult return to City Centre £2.45
• Adult single to Milehouse £1.55
• Adult return to Milehouse £1.95
• Adult single to Windsor House £1.25
• Adult return to Windsor House £1.75
• Family return to City Centre £4.70 (5 people, max 2 adults)

PR1 from Milehouse...

• Adult single to City Centre £1.25
• Adult return to City Centre £1.75
• Adult single to The George £1.55
• Adult return to The George £1.95
• Adult single to Windsor House £1.25
• Adult return to Windsor House £1.75
• Family return to City Centre £3.90 (5 people, max 2 adults)

PR2 from Coypool...

• Adult single to City Centre £1.95
• Adult return to City Centre £2.05
• Family return to City Centre £4.30 (5 people, max 2 adults)

10 journey saver tickets and the PR1 Plymouth Argyle £1 match day ticket remain unchanged.

It is interesting that the company are not raising fares on the 2,3 and 6 services. It does apply to my own bus the 15 which makes it even more expensive than the 50 although with my hospital bus pass it does not affect me as such. I know of one passenger who used to catch the 15 with me in the morning now waits for the next Citybus 50 as it saves her money.
Meanwhile up the road in Exeter we get this...
Transport campaigners in Exeter – Transition Exeter and the Devon group for the Campaign for Better Transport – have claimed that new lower cost fares being introduced by Stagecoach are a direct result of their campaigning efforts. While standard single and return tickets have risen by an average of just over 5%, Stagecoach is reducing the cost of the Dayrider ticket in Exeter from £4 to £3.50 and introducing a new ‘NiteRider ticket’ for £2, allowing unlimited travel on all Stagecoach services after 7pm.

Notice that the day rider ticker has quite a substantial reduction from £4 to £3.50 but this is still more that the Plymouth equivalent tickets of £3.30 for First and Citybus. The Torbay Dayrider is even more expensive at £4.70! The Niterider ticket looks like a good idea though...
Of course Exeter may have more expensive bus fares - but the bus fleet is much more up to date than anything we have in Plymouth. The investment in new buses in Exeter is a marked contrast to the total lack of investment in new buses in Plymouth over the last few years. Citybus is bringing more secondhand buses in to complete the low floor conversion of the fleet and First are also more likely to cascade newer buses in to Plymouth than bring anything new to the fleet. That said the recent refurbished double deckers for bus Citybus and First are good quality decent buses so does it really matter that they are not brand new? The vast majority of buses you can catch in Plymouth are comfortable enough. Would the passengers of Plymouth prefer to pay higher fares for newer buses?

Related Links

• Transport campaigners in Exeter – Transition Exeter and the Devon group for the Campaign for Better Transport – have claimed that new lower cost fares being introduced by Stagecoach are a direct result of their campaigning efforts. Peoples Republic South Devon

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Elsewhere on the net

• The" Delaine (always "The" in the good old days) ran its first bus in 1919 with services from Bourne to Stamford, Spalding and Grantham. Public Transport Experience
• The publication yesterday of the Competition Commission’s summary of its findings on the market investigation of the provincial bus industry and its notices of possible remedies could prove just as important to industry’s future direction as the Public Transport & Traffic white paper of 1967 and the Buses white paper of 1984. Omnibuses
• You will I am sure periodically click the link on this page and read RouteONE Magazine which is featured here. Leon Daniels
• I recently spent a few days back in the north west for a LUPTS (Liverpool University Public Transport Society) student reunion so I took the chance to get some photos beforehand. Transport Illustrated
• First Hampshire, Dorset and South Somerset (ok, I'll stick with FHD) are set to announce their next set of changes to the Southampton network next week. Most routes have changes on, but the biggest change simply from VOSA appears to be the 11 and 12 Southern England Bus Scene
• It all began when fbb arrived in Caernarfon on Wednesday last, 4th May. Although the Destination with the Dongle (read again) was delivered by motor car, fbb was anxious to take at least one North Walian tour using public transport Public Transport Experience
• Said the Competition Commission, “Too many operators face little or no competition in local areas”. Of course, they’re right about a general lack of competition. But that need not be a bad thing in itself. In the light of the initial findings from the CC’s market investigation, has the English provincial bus industry failed to embrace the Transport Act 1985? Omnibuses

Western National Tickets photo: Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by SludgeGulper

Ugoing going…

Danielle shopper goes to Drakes Circus 42784:
Not any more she dont
42784 8 February 2010:
Another Dart looses Ugo branding. It does seem to be a dying breed these days...

Related Links

• Diversions for 25 with map Plymouth Citybus

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Elsewhere on the net

• This week, Silverdale Coaches of North Lanarkshire, Scotland, withdrew from the Scottish free travel scheme because it alleges that the Scottish government owes it £20,000 Omnibuses
• Where in the UK could you share the road with a steam hauled train? Until the 60s, at Weymouth, where a line ran through the streets to Weymouth Harbour taking freight and passengers to and from the Channel Island shipping services. Public Transport Experience
• The BusWorks has won a contract with North Devon Plus to convert two double deck Volvo Olympian buses into 'Surf & Cycle' carriers for a new bus service in the county. Busworks Blog

Barbican congestion

The road gas main replacement works on the Barbican are causing major traffic congestion in the the area and this has affected the Citybus:
Due to the closure of Vauxhall Street by Wales & West, the service 25 has been diverted as shown on the map below. (see the link below)
Due to the extended route for the diversion, the service 25 will not service Exeter Street Viaduct, Charles Street, Mayflower Street, and Western Approach.
The diversion will be in place until the completion of the works, which is expected to take several weeks.
We apologise for the inconvenience these works will cause our customers. We ourselves have been caught out by the works starting a week earlier than planned.

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Related Links

• Diversions for 25 with map Plymouth Citybus

Elsewhere on the net

• In my eyes, Derbyshire County Council's public transport department can do little wrong. Sure, they had a wobble a couple of years ago when they considered discontinuing their UK-leading transport timetable books, but that was resultant from 'pressure upstairs' forcing financial savings. A Transport of Delight
• I don’t know whether you recall the preparation for 1st January 2000. I don’t mean the haircut, the clothes, the comestibles, the booze, the fireworks, the partying. I refer, instead, to the business continuity planning surrounding Y2K Omnibuses

Targeting Whitleigh

Interesting news from This is Plymouth:
A PLYMOUTH transport company has announced that it will take over part of two city bus routes recently scrapped by another firm. Target Travel's transport manager, Ashley Taylor, said that the bus provider would run two buses between Whitleigh and Austin Farm from 9.30am until 3.30pm. This route was part of a transport link cut by Plymouth Citybus last week. The two buses were city centre circular routes 46/47 which served many estates in the Glenholt and Southway area, transporting residents to Asda superstore and Derriford Hospital. He said: "This bus route means a lot to many people and we had extra operational bus time so we were able to put this bus service on." The company had applied for the correct licences and hoped the services would be up and running by June 27, he said. In recent weeks more than 5,000 signatures had been collected by other campaigners against plans to withdraw routes 46, 47, 46S and 47S. Tania Downie, one of the organisers of the petition, said: "It is wonderful to see a company such as Target Travel demonstrate that they have a social conscience and provide this much needed lifeline for those living in the north of the city." Full story
Archived Link

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Related Links

• Home Page Target Travel

Elsewhere on the net

• Back in the year dot-and-a-bit Sheffield Transport's service 73 ran from the City Centre via Firth Park and Chapeltown to High Green, terminating at the former hamlet of Potter Hill. Public Transport Experience
• In spite of *some* of the 30 comments under the post “Easter Day”, bus operators have generally risen to the challenge set by changes to the way society now views what was once the Day of Rest. Omnibuses
• Now the key question is this. Why does the TFL journey planner advise you to spend £6.20 (or even £2.60) rather than going for a freebie? Public Transport Experience
• Details are emerging of the changes to the New Forest Tour for the 2011 summer season Southern England Bus Scene
• A group of passengers in Bath disgruntled at First’s changes (in part recently reversed) have organised a campaign, the results of which are five clear demands. Omnibuses
• fbb (with Mrs fbb and a neighbour) is off today on a short holiday in North Wales. Due to the exigencies of the situation, the holiday is by motor car; cries of "shame shame!" Public Transport Experience
• Situated just outside the Birmingham city boundary in Worcestershire the museum has been reported on a couple of times before in these pages but, as ever, there is always a new view or chance to ride on a different vehicle in a welcoming, professional atmosphere that makes every visit a real pleasure. Transport Illustrated
• First Group has upgraded many of its UK Bus regional home pages though not yet quite all. How easy is it to get the bus information you need? Omnibuses
• I've chosen to do the decent thing, and forego the immediate pleasure of attending rallies in the hope of making up for many years of lost maintenance in the care of others. And slowly, we're getting there. 270KTA

VOSA Variables

The last week or so of April saw a few more changes on VOSA to some of the smaller operators:
21 April 2011
PH1080163/1 - D A C COACHES LTD, RYLANDS GARAGE, ST. ANNS CHAPEL, GUNNISLAKE, PL18 9HW
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Downgate Crossroads and Tavistock Bus station given service number 79/X79 effective from 22-May-2011. To amend Timetable.
27 April 2011
PH1016164/19 - HOLSWORTHY LTD T/A BEACON GARAGE, DOLTON BEACON, DOLTON, WINKLEIGH, EX19 8PS
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Tavistock Bus Station and Yelverton given service number 55/56 effective from 26-Apr-2011. To amend Timetable.
PH1098326/1 - MARK LEGASSICK T/A ST BUDEAUX TAXI BUS, 60 SAVAGE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL5 1BR
Variation Accepted: Operating between St Budeaux Library and St Budeaux Square given service number 223/57 effective from 13-Jun-2011. To amend Route, Stopping Places and Timetable.
I have updated my Plymothian Transit Extra pages for these services - follow the links below.

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Related Links

• 79 X79 79A Downgate - Callington - Calstock - Gunnislake - Tavistock Plymothian Transit Extra
• 55 Tavistock - Yelverton - Milton Coombe Plymothian Transit Extra
• 56 Tavistock - Yelverton - Dousland Plymothian Transit Extra
• 223 St Budeaux Taxibus Plymothian Transit Extra

Elsewhere on the net

• Three days to Wilts & Dorset’s network changes of 1st May 2011 and from that date, W&D is offering a guarantee of a low floor bus on all its Bournemouth & Poole routes. Dorset Bus Blog
• 90-vehicle Newport Bus, Wales, has a “new” managing director. His official task? To modernise the undertaking. Omnibuses
• Buried in the bowels of the official Red Funnel web site is a detailed history of all the vessels owned. Many do not have pictures; which is odd. You would have though the company might want to remember what boats it owned. Public Transport Experience
• There’s optimism at last that the world’s longest running busway/saga/joke (delete as appropriate) might actually be operational this summer, possibly as “early” as August. Omnibuses
• Once again, a friend and I decided to head into Derbyshire this Easter Monday, making use of the normal daytime Monday service being operated by the trains and the special Sunday timetables being operated by the buses. A Transport of Delight
• It is the night before the Royal Wedding and we are assembled at the Novotel in Hammersmith for the London Transport Awards 2011 presented in association with the Transport Times. Leon Daniels
• The original "Royal" man was Thomas Elliott, who, in 1880, began operating horse drawn vehicles from Royal Blue Mews in Avenue Lane, Bournemouth. This cul-de-sac today forms the back yard of Marks and Spencers! Public Transport Experience
• The 46, and the 47. The routes that would get you practically from anywhere, to anywhere in Plymouth (excluding anywhere East!). PTOTPA
• I was therefore quite interested to see what effect, if any, yesterday’s royal wedding had on Omnibuses, what with a bank holiday, the nation glued to its tellies, reasonable weather I think across the nation, street parties, bbqs and whatnot. How did Omnibuses perform? Omnibuses
• Well the media is full of the success Royal Wedding but a critical part of it was as a result of the excellent planning by all of the agencies involved and then its equally superb delivery by their teams. Leon Daniels

Responding to Demand

Back to the blog after a much needed Bank Holiday break:

First have now posted details of their changes for June 2011:

In order to best match resources with levels of demand and respond to customer requests for more direct buses to the places they wish to go to, First Devon and Cornwall is making some changes local buses in Plymouth from 12 June 2011. As a result of the changes some services will see an increased frequency, while the routes of some others are being altered. One existing service is being withdrawn.
Talking about the changes, Marc Reddy, Managing Director of First in Devon and Cornwall, says:

"Over the past few months we have seen our customers travel patterns change once again. We have noticed an increased demand for services around Barne Barton and St Budeaux and with this in mind we have adjusted the frequency of buses in this area. Furthermore customer feedback has indicated that people would prefer more direct links between key points in the city, so we have adjusted the route of Service 6 and brought in a new Service 7 to address that. Our mantra in Plymouth has always been that 'we go where ugo', and these latest changes continue to reflect that. The withdrawal of Service 12 is regrettable but not enough people have been using the service to make it commercially sustainable, so the route has been withdrawn to enable us to make improvements elsewhere. I would like to take the opportunity to thank those people in and around Plympton for travelling with us over the past few years. "Customers wanting more information about the latest service changes are advised to speak to a member of our customer service team or log onto our website. New timetables will be made available approximately two weeks prior to the changes taking effect."

Specific changes in Plymouth, from 12 June
Service 3 (City Centre - Barne Barton via Devonport, St Budeaux): To meet the increased demand for buses the timetable of this service is being improved. Specifically buses will run up to every 7-8 minutes Monday - Saturday, and every 30 minutes on Sundays and Public Holidays from Sunday 12 June. This compares to every 10 minutes Monday - Saturday at the moment.
Service 6 (City Centre - Staddiscombe via Plymstock): The route of this service is changing slightly from 12 June. Specifically Service 6 buses will no longer serve Horn Cross Road, Stanborough Road, Springfield Road or a section of route on Goosewelll Road, but instead they will operate via Oreston Road, Plymstock Road, Dean Hill, Furzehatt Road, Reservoir Road, Staddiscombe Road, Goosewell Road and Holmwood Avenue before returning along Dean Hill to Plymstock Broadway. The changes mean that customers in Staddiscombe and Goosewell will be able to get to and from Plymstock Broadway more easily and quickly than previously. Buses will run up to every 20 minutes Monday - Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays and Public Holidays.
***NEW*** Service 7 (City Centre - Elburton via Plymstock Broadway): A new Service 7 is being introduced from 12 June. This will offer people in Elburton additional opportunities to travel and a quicker, more direct, route between Elburton and the City Centre. Specifically buses, which will run up to every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays and Public Holidays, will follow the route of the current Service 6 until the Pomphlett Road roundabout, from where they will then travel via Pomphlett Road, Horn Cross Road, Stanborough Road Dunstone Drive, Furzehatt Road, Springfield Road, Elburton Road and Stanborough Road, before returning along Horn Cross Road, Pomphlett Road en route to the city centre. In addition Service 7 buses in the city centre, in response to customer demand, will also serve Charles Street (for the Drake Circus Shopping Mall) and Mayflower Street from the 12 June.
Service 12 (City Centre - Chaddlewood via Marsh Mills, Plympton Ridgeway): In order to better match resources against levels of customer demand this service is being withdrawn from 12 June. Plympton remains well served by public transport though so bus users in the area will still have opportunities to travel, albeit using the services of a third party operator.

For more information about these service changes, or to view and download new timetable information, log onto: www.firstgroup.com/devon or speak to a customer services representative in the First Travel Shop or by calling Customer Services on 0845 600 1420. Customers can also follow First Devon and Cornwall on Facebook (search for First Devon and Cornwall) or on Twitter at @FirstBus_Devon For independent travel advice and help planning journeys, call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33.

 

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Related Links

• Timetable for change Plymothian Transit April 2011
• Bus Service changes First Devon & Cornwall

Elsewhere on the net

I will catch up on these next posting as the internet has all but ground to a halt for me tonight!