I was going to post the latest set of VOSA notices for Plymouth Citybus with more changes to come but instead I will run through the changes by route. I have only listed the main changes here – most of the routes also see minor timetable changes to improve reliability
- Service 5 5A Loss of one early Saturday run but an extra Sunday run added. Last journeys extended through to Milehouse
- Service 8 8A Service will interwork with 23 and 24
- Service 14D Now only runs through to HMS Drake as 14D and then continues through to Plympton as a 21 21A
- Service 16 Early weekday journeys retimed and last Sunday run withdrawn.
- Service 21 21A Revised route which will operate Barne Barton – City Centre – Plympton and return. Replaces the 26. Increased Sunday service to every 15 minutes.
- Service 23 24. Interworks with 8 and 9. Reduced frequency on Sundays.
- Service 25. Rerouted through Kinterbury Street – Bretonside – Vauxhall Street instead of Buckwell Street.
- Service 26A. Runs from Eggbuckland through to Barne Barton. Continues as 21 21A through to Plympton
- Service 27. Sundays departs slightly earlier from Derriford.
- Service 28 Sundays departs Derriford slightly earlier. A few extra schoolday journeys from Derriford which replace the current duplicates.
- Service 29 Outbound runs Crownhill Road – Budshead Road – Tavistock Road. Combines with new 30 route to provide 4 buses an hour between St Budeaux and Derriford
- Service 30. Renumbered from the 152. Follows the current 29 from Derriford to St Budeaux then to Saltash Fore Street – Callington Road – Liskeard Road – Pillmere. Now every half hour.
- Service 33 33A. Service 33 runs through to bottom of Albert Road then continues through to St Levan Gate, St Levan Road – Milehouse – Western Approach into the City Centre. 33A opposite way round. Both run every 30 mins giving combined 15 min frequency. interworks with revised 43A. Note that it no longer serves the Torpint Ferry.
- Service 34. Improved connections with Cremyll Ferry. Additional journeys to Royal William Yard during the school holidays.
- Service 40 41 Revisions early morning journeys
- Service 42. Service 42D renumbered to 42. Short runs to Derriford run Monday – Friday throughout the day. Short runs interwork with the new 30
- Service 43A Weekdays now every 15 mins. Revised route in Saltash to cover St Stephens. No longer serves Pillmere which is covered by the new 30.
- Service 45. Improved running times and extended onto Mayflower Street. Sunday runs speeded up.
- Service 46 Withdrawn
- Service 50. Minor timetable changes only.
- Service 61 61A. Service 62 is renumbered 61A. To operate as a circular City Centre – Transit Way – City Centre. Transit Way to Derriford section withdrawn. Saturday and Sunday frequencies revised.
This is a pretty brief run down of the main changes planned for 5th May. There are changes between timing points on most routes to improve running times. The St Budeaux – City Centre corridor should see more evenly spaced buses across the 29 / 43 group of services as a result.
I am sure more detail will be available along with the new timetables before too long. The main feature of all these changes seems to be an increased presence in Saltash. The new 21 21A route with its new double deckers will also be a highly visible feature which will attract a lot of attention. The 33 into St Levan Road is also a noteworthy incursion into what has been First territory for many years.
There was no mention on VOSA of a route change to the 43A? When is that supposed to take effect?
ReplyDeleteAll due on May 5th, with full details now available on the Citybus website. If you're planning a posting tomorrow (or whenever) Graham with these details I'll save my comments on them till then.
ReplyDeletefrom speaking with the md,it costs 120,000 to run that section. (assume per year) and the amount of passengers we carry 1.5 people a day, does not warrant the cost.
ReplyDeleteWhat section anon? 46? 1.5 people a day?
ReplyDeleteIt seems like they are now expecting passengers whom travel on Service 61/61A to now travel onwards to Derriford on services 29 or 30. Giving what I imagine, will be a simple 15 minute apart departure from Transit Way to Derriford.
ReplyDeleteIt does, however, seem very interesting that they are putting more services into Transit Way given that the odd bit of congestion renders the complex completely without service!
That certainly does seem like the plan. It's not a huge problem for me, as I at present use any of the 29/61/62 from Derriford to Transit Way every now and again, though it's not too bad as the new 30 will serve Transit Way. The thing I don't get is when this was proposed back in the Summer as part of the network changes, so many people complained about the 61/62 not serving Derriford, they kept it as it is. They (PCB), are fully aware this will not prove a popular move at all, infact quite the opposite, they know they'll get complaints, so I really do wonder why they've done it, knowing full well passengers will hate it. It seems to me to be a straight cost-cutting idea really.
ReplyDeleteAfter a good study of the timetables, this is what I can work out:
5/A remain as a 5/A throughout the week like they do at present.
8/9 and 23/24 will be merged during the week. Not sure about Sundays.
16 appears to still be merged with the 35, and 16/35/50 on Sundays.
20 seems to remain as a 20 during the day, possibly the 1850 from town one doing the evening 2020 onwards 42s? Sunday services upon reaching town may change to the 29, then 34? The 34 reaching town on Sunday at present changes to the 42A, then 42, then back to a
20, though the 42/A remain as a 42/A throughout the day on Sunday so I’m not sure.
25 remains as a 25 during the day like it does at present.
27/28 will still change into the other one at Derriford. Not sure about Sundays (see board 304/5 above)
29 and 34 still merged with slightly shorter layovers at Derriford. Again, not sure about Sundays.
30 changes with the new 42Ds (now renumbered 42)
33/A changes with the 43A.
Short 34s to the Royal William Yard remain as a 34 during the day.
40/41 still change into the other one in town during the week & Saturday, not sure about Sunday as the 41 changed with the 42/A/45 at present on a Sunday (see above & link to board number 407)
42/A change with eachother throughout the day.
43 remains as a 43. Sundays not sure. (See board 206 above)
43B - Not so sure, unless it remains as a 43B throughout the day with a 16 minute layover! Sundays not sure. (See board 206 above).
44/A - Change with eachother throughout the day. Remains as a 44 on Sunday.
45 - Again, not sure on this. It leaves town and arrives in town pretty much at the same time as the 43B so can't be merged with that. Sundays it remains as a 45 during the day as opposed to the current changes with the 41/42/42A (see board 407 above)
50 - Remains as a 50 throughout the day, with shorter layovers at Derriford. (3 mins opposed to the current 5). Changes with the 16 and 35 like it does at present on a Sunday.
61/A – Change with eachother throughout the week and Sundays.
Go-Ahead are obviously trying to put First bus in Plymouth out of business.The majority of their management used to work for First so they have an axe to grind.If they do pull out of Plymouth, Go-Ahead would have the monopoly there & then look out. Fare increases by the dozen.
ReplyDeleteyh sorry, the transit way to derriford bit.
ReplyDeleteSo now the residents of Pillmere have lost a vital link to the city centre. Typical, and now we dont have any weekend service whatsoever!!! NICE ONE CITYBUS !!!!
ReplyDeleteThe deletion of Pillmere from route 43A is a very poor decision from Citybus. They justify this decision by claiming that no-one uses it, which is totally untrue.
ReplyDeleteAs a user of the service I see people boarding and alighting in Pillmere regularly, there are certainly no less passengers using the service from Pillmere than there are from the neighbouring Latchbrook, yet Latchbrook is now to receive 4 buses an hour linking them to the city centre and Pillmere none??
Why is it presumed that Pillmere residents would rather have a twice hourly service to Derriford and nothing to the city centre, with no service at all at weekends??
Disgusted with Citybus!