Devon Transit 001

Devon Transit 001

The first look at what is happening elsewhere in Devon so far in 2015. Alternates with Cornwall Transit every Tuesday...

Countrybus

One timetable change so far:

• 08 JAN 2015 Service 672: Buckland in the Moor - Newton Abbot

There were quite a few route cancellations posted on VOSA back in November with all of these supermarket shopper services cancelled as from the 10th January:

• PH1017984/94 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Totnes, Corporation Road and Torquay, The Willows given service number MS3 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/95 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Dawlish, Port Road and Torquay, The Willows given service number MS1 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/96 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Kingsbridge Quay and Torquay, The Willows given service number MS2 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/97 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Chudleigh Memorial and Newton Abbot, Tesco given service number T5 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/98 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Paignton, Waterside Hotel and Newton Abbot, Tesco given service number T6 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/99 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Ashburton and Newton Abbot, Tesco given service number T7 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/100 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Teignmouth and Newton Abbot Tesco given service number T4 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/101 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Barton, Happaway Road and Newton Abbot Tesco given service number T3 effective from 10-Jan-2015.
• PH1017984/102 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Dawlish, Carhaix Way and Newton Abbott Tesco given service number T1 effective from 10-Jan-2015.

A familiar face on the Tesco contract just last week. Will this contract loss mean the end for 201?

Photo credit: Nick Rice under Creative Commons Licence.

Stagecoach

A small batch of new timetables started from the 5th January:

• 05 JAN 2015 Service 12 12A Newton Abbot - Torquay - Brixham I cant see that any actual timetable change took place from this date but it was registered on VOSA. The change is to the route / stopping places as Fleet Walk will be closed from Monday 5th January for up to 3 months to allow for the next phase of building works to take place. Stagecoach services Hop12, 22, 31, 33 and 34 will be rerouted during the closure and, consequently, will be unable to serve several bus stops located on Fleet Walk, Abbey Road and Union Street
• 05 JAN 2015 128 Poughill - Bude - Stratton A new timetable and a revised route between Bude and Poughill will be introduced on Service 128 from Monday 5th January 2015.
• 05 JAN 2015 X9 Exeter -Okehampton - Holsworthy - Bude
• 05 JAN 2015 X10 Exeter - Okehampton - Launceston Starting from Monday 5th January 2015 a new service, X10, will operate one journey each way from Mondays to Saturdays linking Launceston with Okehampton and Exeter. Additional daytime X9 journeys will run between Okehampton, Sticklepat, Whiddon Down, Tedburn St Mary and Exeter.

Stagecoach X9 / X10 Exeter Okehampton:

Stagecoach X9 Okehampton Holsworthy:

Stagecoach X9 Okehampton Bude:

Stagecoach X10 Okehampton Launceston:

Upcoming changes

Stagecoach have a few more changes registered from the 19th January which will be covered properly in the next Devon Transit. Routes affected include the X46, X64, 110, 13, 23 and GOLD. The GOLD service changes are particulary interesting so will be covered in more detail later this week in a post of their own.

Filers

VOSA

PH1066351/4 - FILERS TRAVEL LIMITED, SLADE LODGE ,, SLADE ROAD, ILFRACOMBE, EX34 8LB
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Combe Martin and Barnstaple Post Office
given service number 301 effective from 12-Jan-2015.
To amend Route and Timetable.

Timetables

• 12 JAN 2015 301 Combe Martin - Ilfracombe - Barnstaple Quite what the changes are I have no idea as this information does not appear to be on the internet anywhere!

Big Cuts Looming

Council taxpayers in Devon are subsidising some bus trips by nearly £20 for every individual passenger, it has been revealed. Now the county council is considering lowering caps on subsidies it will pay for bus journeys in Devon that would otherwise have been withdrawn by their commercial operators for being unprofitable. The ceiling will depend on the type of service and bigger subsidies are proposed for public transport which provides the last link for communities with bigger towns and for services which people use to get to and from work. Currently one subsidised Devon service costs £22.95 for every passenger trip while another bus journey costs £19.38.
The measures are being proposed as the authority faces saving £1.7 million out of its annual bus subsidy as a way of meeting the £50 million county council budget reduction required by Government spending cuts next year. It will be the first time that the authority has been forced to make bus service reductions for four years. But it’s proposing to increase funding for volunteer-run, community transport providers which take people to health appointments, services, shops and leisure activities where no suitable transport is available. The county is set to launch a wide-ranging public consultation on which bus services are most valued by their local communities.
Meanwhile the Cabinet member responsible, Stuart Hughes, has pledged that no communities which are currently served by a bus will be entirely cut off. Instead services which operate on a daily basis may be reduced to two or three days a week with similar reductions for less frequent services.
“The intention will be to ensure weekly links are protected,” he said. There may also be a reduction in the destinations served, but Mr Hughes added: “The reduction to some services is likely to involve a reduction in the choice of destination, reflecting where possible the most popular destination.” “But we will still be spending over £4 million on public transport when these savings take full effect,” said Mr Hughes. “We have made efficiencies in previous years to provide the required savings. “But the scope for further efficiencies is very limited. This aims to preserve bus services across the county but to continue thinning those services and reducing choice in terms of travel time and destination. “It provides a way of reducing our spend on public transport with the least possible impact.”
The public consultation is scheduled to start this month. It will provide a complete list of all the services affected and enable people to identify which ones are most needed by their community.
Seen at Exeter Bus Station way back in 2006 when Devon County Council clearly had a bit more cash to spend

Exeter Bus Station

THE closure of one of the main routes through Exeter city centre is essential if the redevelopment of the bus and coach station is to go ahead, developers have claimed. Councillor Jill Owen, chairman of Exeter’s highways committee, said: “I asked what would happen if the county council, as the highways authority, was to decide that the closure of Paris Street was unacceptable, and was told that in that case the scheme would not be viable.” 07 JAN 2015 Exeter Express and Echo

Exeter City Council

EXETER City Council has just published its draft Low Emissions Strategy and part of that is to “support bus operators to make improvements to their fleet and lower emissions”.
Mike Bishop, engineering director for Stagecoach South West, told Community News: “We fully support Exeter City Council’s low emissions strategy and we would advocate that buses are part of the solution to improve air quality across the city by providing services that give people a greener alternative to using their cars. 07 JAN 2015 Exeter Express and Echo

Recommended Reading

• Great Yarmouth Bus Page: Yesterday's day out
• Public Transport Experience: Mevagissey Mysteries [1] Getting There!
• Norwich Buses: First Updates: 33167 debuts on the Red Line and more
• Ipswich Bus Blog: 32494 READY TO RETURN
• Steves Bus and Train Page: End Of Anglian's Eden Project