A week or so ago we asked a few simple questions about the Battle for Ivybridge so as promised lets have a quick look at the answers:
Ivybridge will now be served by three different bus companies: Plymouth Citybus, First Devon and Stagecoach. Is there room for all three?
If Ivybridge cannot sustain all three operators which company do you think will blink first and reduce their service?
3) Ultimately which company do you think will win the battle for Ivybridge?
thanks to the 35 people who joined in, including one reportedly from Iceland!
I probably dont really need to say much more on this at the moment, however I do have one quick question: I have not seen any reports on what First are using on their 88 service. Can anyone please confirm what First are using up against the Citybus Enviros?
Bloggers
- Until recently appearances of the AnglianBus StreetLite quintet in the Great Yarmouth area have been mainly confined to Beccles services. East Norfolk Bus Blog
- It was very close but the Norfolk Green livery was the winner in your version of the Route One livery competition. Omnibuses
A mix of Darts native and the Hong Kong and those ultra comfy B6BLEs (note the younger firmly in cheek!)
ReplyDeleteFirst haven't put in any effort, then!
ReplyDeleteThe inclusion of Stagecoach in the survey is really a complete red herring. They're not battling to win anything, they only serve the town as it's en route so anyone boarding there for Plymouth or at Plymouth for Ivybridge is a bonus to them.
First will lose out.
Hopefully Stagecoach will reintroduce their X45 next as First are completely abusing their position on the X80 with a serious disregard for suitable vehicle types.
On Wednesday 42463 R463CCV and 40036 S376SUX were in use on the 88
ReplyDeleteI think First will win this battle as when Citybus withdraw their special fares passangers willmigrate to First
ReplyDeleteOnly ones I seen is the Dennis Darts, & majority are empty...
ReplyDeletecity bus keep the service going for ivybridge or stage coach first from mrash mills to go in town but city bus need keep the 45 going or have should stage coach service x45 service
ReplyDeleteI've just seen rather old Darts on the 88 and not many passengers in them either. Just seems to sum up the way First operates down here these days I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteJust becuase a service is cheaper does not mean that pasengers will use it.
ReplyDeleteFirst have treated their Ivybridge customers appalingly over the past few years and many people have been asking Citybus for a service.
To be honest The 45 Citybus operates seems to be carrying a lot of fresh air whenever I've seen it, I think First were smart to start the 88 from Bretonside as any people waiting for an X80 will jump on an 88. Easy to forget but the 180 is still plugging away that too seems to be Dart, they seem to have stopped using a Tavylinx B6 on the 17.50 departure!
ReplyDeleteLooking at PCBs 45 and First's 88 I have to say that Firsts offering looks the more useful. The 88 is serving the whole of Ivybridge not just the town centre and Exeter Road.
ReplyDeleteThe western suburbs of Ivybridge where a large section of the population reside along with Cole Lane and the newer developments to the south east are unserved by PCB. I shouldn't think First will lose much sleep over PCB having exclusivity in serving the towns railway station as there are so few trains but now a bus every 30 mins!.
I think if First want to secure a total victory here the x80 needs an upgrade and rebrand. Perhaps renumber it the 87 and operate it every 30 minutes straight through to Torquay. They could then offer a 15 minute frequency from the bus station to the town.
city bus fares go up next week should get better picture then think city bus will pull out first oweing to passenger numbers tavy differant story though
ReplyDeleteIt First's fares which go back up next week as things stand, Citybus have extended theirs until the 3rd November!
Deletehttp://www.plymouthbus.co.uk/about-us/news/ivybridge-1-special-fare-extended
Today 40033 was on the 88 at about 2.15pm, as I sit in the queue for Laira bridge, it passed me, a couple of minutes later (before I turned on to Embankment lane and unable to see) 40585 passed me on an 88 - two 88s in less than 5 mins seemed very strange, both buses were in service and both were empty!
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that First hasn't painted up a couple of buses specifically for the 88, along the lines of what they did for Tavistock, maybe using different colours and calling it Ivylinx.
ReplyDeleteWell it seems that First have blinked first and are withdrawing the service 88 on 2 June 13.
ReplyDeletePH0004983/451 - FIRST DEVON & CORNWALL LTD, THE RIDE, CHELSON MEADOW, PLYMOUTH, PL9 7JT
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Plymouth City Centre, Bretonside Bus Station and Ivybridge given service number 88 effective from 02-Jun-2013.