A few service notifications from the last couple of days to catch up on
We are starting to see a few changes for Devon tendered services for the first weekend of June. A few cancellations at the moment. It remains to be seen if anyone is taking these over. The remains one are late notices for changes that have already happened. Saltash Red Bus have altered a couple of their weekly services and Filers have introduced a seasonal Sunday service for the 309/310
Dealtop Ltd (Dartline)
| Licence | Route | Start Point | End Point | Effective | Notes |
| PH0005305.013 | 173 | Chagford Square | Exeter, Sidwell Street | 03-Jun-2023 | Cancellation |
Plymouth Citybus (Go Devon)
| Licence | Route | Start Point | End Point | Effective | Notes |
| PH0000135.319 | 315 | North Tawton | Bideford | 05-Jun-2023 | CANCEL |
| PH0000135.320 | 315 | Bideford | Barnstaple | 05-Jun-2023 | CANCEL |
| PH0000135.324 | 315 (345, 377) | Exeter | Chulmleigh | 05-Jun-2023 | CANCEL |
| PH0000135.321 | 345 | Okehampton | North Tawton | 05-Jun-2023 | Cancel |
Filers Travel
| Licence | Route | Start Point | End Point | Effective | Notes |
| PH1066351.019 | 309 310 | Lynton/ Lynmouth | Barnstaple Bus Station | 09-Apr-2023 | Timetable variation - addition of seasonal Sunday and Bank Holiday service. (No new timetable on Traveline yet, but there is a Devon CC timetable linked via the route page) |
Saltash Red Bus
| Licence | Route | Start Point | End Point | Effective | Notes |
| COMMUNITY B1870 | 451 | Merrymeet, Mission Church | Saltash Fore street | 03-Apr-2023 | to amend timetable |
| COMMUNITY B1877 | 451A | Trerulefoot, Kernow Mill | Liskeard, Barrass Street | 07-Apr-2023 | New Registration. New timetable on Go Cornwall page but not on Traveline yet |
| COMMUNITY B1874 | 455 | St Neot | Liskeard, Morrisons | 03-Apr-2023 | to amend timetable |
You could as always click through on the licence number for the full route history for each route with timetables and maps available for your viewing pleasure.
Go Devon 315 in its full glory:
Could we assume the Go Devon cancellations are likely to be reregistered under Dartline? Surely they aren’t pulling out of Devon already?
ReplyDeleteI am wondering that myself! It would make more sense.
DeleteMight explain the full length Solo SRs transferring out of Plymouth to Dartline too, fleet standardisation for Dartline and returning the E200s to Plymouth.
DeleteGo Devon was created as a pre-cursor to the purchase of Dartline, i'm fairly sure, so yes this would make more sense with Dartline taking over the Go Devon branch of services.
DeleteA go cornwall e200 appeared on the PR3 to RD and E last week.
DeleteBelieve county has issued new tenders for Go Devon contracts so not a simple internal Go South West transfer exercise it would appear Graham? Agency drivers must be costing a fortune, has any attempt been made to replace them anyone know?
DeleteGSW has surrendered the Devon contracts. They’re back out to tender.
ReplyDeleteStagecoach should take them back
ReplyDeleteOnly if they now have sufficient drivers - which is why the tendered sections of the 5A/5B/5C were surrendered in the first place. Sometimes we have short memories ....
DeleteAlso Julian difficult for Stagecoach to comply with Traffic Commissioner ruling of no split registrations on such long rural routes with no real opportunities to change drivers more than once on 315. EU rules preclude its use of young drivers and push costs up.
DeleteIt's conceivable of course that GSW could still win the routes back at a more sustainable price.
ReplyDeleteI would agree though drivers been told ending (guess could rehire but are agency rates sustainable long term? Assume still used?)
DeleteMaybe GSW should have a bid with a realistic price and actually looked to see if they could taken on the routes in the first place! Is there some kind of push from Go Ahead to aggressively expand more in Devon & Cornwall?
DeleteI did here a story that 1 or 2 drivers quit go Devon and joined the agency and then worked contracted to go Devon at a higher rate of pay. As they saw it unfair that agency drivers were earning more to take same buses out of same yard. Maybe if dartline were successful they would run it from there base in the area
ReplyDeleteThat agency drivers get higher gross pay is a bit of a red herring given they have to pay agency fees plus employer NI and pension contributions.
DeleteJames; DCC may have provided optimistically high revenue estimates in the original tenders.
DeleteHave to pay NI & pensions yes but still a higher rate I suspect to entice drivers away from home plus often free accommodation as was advertised by Manley Summers for Go Devon routes (even mentioned 'luxury accommodation' in the advert). DCC revenue estimates are surely based on the previous operator takings but did the authority perhaps expect more of a post-Covid loadings increase?)
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