More welcome investment in coach facilities in Plymouth:
Coach companies arriving at The Barbican will have easier access, thanks to improvement work due to start this week. Plymouth City Council has contracted South West Highways to start work on improvements to the facilities offered to coach services at this popular location.
Stage one to extend the bus stop near the Mayflower Steps, creating a new larger coach drop off area was completed earlier in the year. Now the existing Lambhay Hill coach parking triangle is to be reconfigured to allow three standalone coach parking bays.
The new ‘pay and display’ bays for coaches will allow coaches a maximum of two hours parking, ensuring coach space rotation, which, in turn, helps maximise the number of coaches able to use the spaces and bring more visitors to the waterfront and business to local traders.
The project includes some excavation and reconstruction of the highway in areas which need repair. It is estimated that the work will take up to six weeks.
Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council and cabinet member for Strategic Housing, Transport and Planning, said:
“Many visitor coaches want to go straight to the Barbican to enjoy its shops, cobbled streets and pubs. We’ve worked closely with the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the coach industry representative body, on these changes and hope the new facilities will bring more here and keep the cash tills ringing.”
Sarah Gibson, Waterfront Manager and Chief Executive of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said: “Businesses across the Waterfront rely upon visiting coaches and the additional footfall they generate. We welcome the Council’s investment to provide additional provision for coaches in this area. From this location visitors can access the delights of The Barbican, Sutton Harbour and The Hoe on foot or Mount Batten, the Royal William Yard and South East Cornwall by ferry waterlinks.”
Whilst welcoming anything that enables more visitors (and thereby money) to the City if they really want more coaches to access the Barbican and the Hoe areas, then the Council need to do something about illegal and/or inconsiderate parking in Southside Street, and the Barbican area in general. They should also do something about the awful traffic calming measures along Mederia Road which make the journey so uncomfortable for passengers in any vehicle and by their design and number increase noise and pollution in what is such a beautiful part of the City.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they stick in some new traffic lights while their at it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Steven Knight Media new Scania E400 MMCs 15306/07/08/10 are at Stagecoach Plymouth, possibly some buses to keep an eye out for?
ReplyDeleteThat info is incorrect- They are for Torquay- HOP 12
DeleteThey're being stored for Torquay has they are the order for the 12 Exeter have some Plymouth have some as Torquay can't store them all :)
DeleteWhilst the number of coaches parked in laybys on the A38 as there's nowhere else to go increases.
ReplyDeletethe council could invest in a dedicated coach drop off and parking area with connections the most local bus services close to the main shopping areas, with a safe off road dropping off area so visting non uk coaches are not discharging passengers on to the road at a main roundabout, and national express coaches connect with local services in a joined up transport system.
ReplyDeleteThere could spend the money on the state off pavements in stead .why waste more money on coach parking bit off a joke
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