VOSA Citybus
Yesterday saw another batch of notices on VOSA for Plymouth Citybus: I am sure it wont be long before we get the full details!
PH0000135/1 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between PLYMOUTH Royal Parade and KINGS TAMERTON Steph.Way given service number 16 effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Timetable.
PH0000135/5 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between PLYMOUTH Royal Parade and DERRIFORD Hospital given service number 28/28B effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.
PH0000135/76 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between ROYAL PARADE and DERRIFORD HOSPITAL given service number 29/20A effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.
PH0000135/94 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between Saltash, Oaklands Green and Eldburton, Blackstone Close given service number 5/5A effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Route and Timetable.
PH0000135/145 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between Royal Parade and Ivybridge Rail Station given service number 45 effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Timetable.
PH0000135/150 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Royal Parade and Torpoint HMS Raleigh given service number 32/22B effective from 01-Jun-2014. To amend Timetable.
PH0000135/151 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between Plympton, Mudge Way and Plymouth, Notre Dame School given service number 103 effective from 27-Jul-2014. To amend Timetable.
Update on PVL's 441 is trainer still in London Red, 442 is in Red Swoops and converted to one door, 443, 449,450,451 are still in London Red but with vinals on blind apperatures for School Bus Only 112,101,103,120 respectively. 444 being attended too. Single door conversions have 21 seats on lower deck.
ReplyDeleteSuprisingly 21 repainted Red Swoops and 17 rubbed down in paint shop.
201 in 11 yesterday.
The changes to the 28s from the end of July is the re-instatement of a 30 minute service to Derriford from Eggbuckland following a huge number of complaints. The Services will operate via Higher Compton and serve either Crownhill or Mainstone before continuing onto Derriford. One will operate the same route as the current 28 via Culver Way and Crownhill, and the other operating via Shallowford Road to Mainstone and will continue to Derriford rather than terminate at Asda as a result of many complaints.
ReplyDeleteThis really is great news as I did think they definitely went a bit too far cutting the links to Derriford from Eggbuckland; reducing them from seven buses (needed to run the service) to four!
Yes, trouble is Tom, at the same time Citybus is cutting the frequency on July 25th of the 28s here in Eggbuckland into the City Centre from the current 3 buses per hour to 2 buses an hour (it was 4 per hour up until April '14) - so surely that's going to bring in to CityBus another huge number of complaints from people about the poor service into the City Centre. There are a lot of capacity issues at peak times and excessively bad timekeeping at all hours of the day on this route, that looks set to get even worse. The 50% reduction in the service does indeed show how Citybus are failing to make this a profitable route depte the 28s always seeming busy throughout the day, this certainly stems fromthe company's total dirsregard for the route over the years, with constant poor timekeeping, high fares, old vehicles, buses not running at the times people want, buses not going where people want. It seems odd that the odd that the 28s were cut by third in April due to "unstainable losses" and within a few weeks of that that announced a further one third cut, I should imagine before they've had much financial feedback on the previous cuts. Presumbably, going by this track record, CityBus are already planning the next cut in the 28s for September which I assume will bring it down to one bus an hour. Oh well, at least Milehouse Customer Service Department will be kept busy with the next deluge of complaints
DeleteWhat I found odd about the latest change to the 28s is that two thirds of the services operate via Culver Way and only one an hour to Shallowford and Austin Crescent.
DeleteThe layover times for the 28s at present are very tight so I can very much understand poor timekeeping on the route.
I certainly think a more even spread of service is needed with less on Culver Way and more on Shallowford, together with more to the Hospital.
Does this mean though that the 28 to Derriford is once an hour, and the 28A (let's assume this is what it'll be called) to Derriford via Mainstone is once an hour? If so that is a massive cutback for inbound services.
If that's the case then really they should stagger them at present to every 20 minutes; 28 on the hour to Derriford via culver Way, 28A 20 past the hour to Derriford via Shallowford and Mainstone and a 28B at 40 mins past the hour doing a loop round Eggbuckland the same as the present route just to pick people up from Eggbuckland to take them into town.
The post-July 25th 28s are something of a hybrid of what currently operates...
ReplyDeleteOnce an hour 28 from Royal Parade goes to Austin Farm Vale, then along Culver Way and Charfield Drive, turn right down Chuch Hill then up Shallowford Road, around the Austin Crescent loop, then straight along Fort Austin Ave to Crownhill and Derriford. Inbound 28 then takes the exact reverse route to City Centre, once an hour.
Once an hour 28A from Royal Parade follows the exact route as the 28 as far as after the top of Shallowford Road where it avoids the Austin Crescent loop, turns right down Forder Valley Road to Mainstone, Asda and Derriford. Inbound 28A then goes the exact reverse route to City Centre, once an hour.
So that will now give 2 buses an hour to Shallowford Road instead of the current 1, ditto Derriford Hospital, the added excitement of all 28s going up and down Chuch Hill (very handy for the chippy near the Chuch) and the not quite so exciting reduction to 2 services per hour inbound to the City Centre from the current 3.
Peak time inbound on the buses here seems to be around about 8-15 to 8.30 from The Vale (or, to give it it's full name, the rather dilapidated pub formerly known as the Mermaid), this will now give one inbound service for those who start work in town around 9am - the 28A at 08.32, due in Mayflower St. 08.50. Previous bus will be 28 at 08.02 due Mayflower Street at 08.20. Miss the 8.32 and the next one is 9.02.
I should imagine the 08.32 28A will be well rammed - perhaps we'll get the deckers back! I'm sure the planners (do they have such a thing?) at Citybus will have pre-planned for the projected loadings on the new service.
I very much doubt deckers will return to the 28s.
DeleteThe 32 needed 5 (not sure how many are needed on the new 32/32A/32Bs though)
The 27/34 interwork again with 5 buses
The 29/29A has around four or five deckers a day too.
Two deckers are also used on the short 42s to Derriford from what I've seen lately, though a Citaro was used on short 42s the other day.
Then there's the school buses - 101,102,103,112,117,118,119,120,121,122,124,127,128,129 and 130, it's amazing how they all add up.
Then there's the problem of the hills, and if you've ever been on an EVL/PVL you'll know they are absolutely dreadful on the hills (the PN02 EVLs 401-409 especially). They really struggled early last year when 2 or 3 deckers were on the 27/28s, and that's without throwing in Church Hill and Forder Valley/Novorossisk Road! I really don't think they'll be able to cope with all day workings on those hills so I'd be amazed if deckers were used. Speaking of which in recent weeks I've seen a great deal of Citaros and Eclipses on the 28s though!