We are gearing up to deliver a £4.5 million investment in Plymouth’s bus network from April, in partnership with local operators.
A programme of improvements for the coming year, developed in line with the city’s Bus Service Improvement Plan and funded by the Department for Transport’s 2025/26 Bus Grant, was approved today.
The improvements will help achieve the Plymouth Enhanced Bus Partnership’s vision to ‘create a thriving bus network where everyone can be connected to important people and places, by services that are frequent, reliable, fast, affordable, safe and clean, which will also help Plymouth to achieve its net zero goals by 2030.’
They include:
- extra investment in subsidised services, with more frequent services, more days of operation and new services providing connections between communities
- a new real time passenger information system, replacing our ageing digital bus shelter displays
- improved passenger information, including new facilities for passengers with visual impairments
- the recently announced new Service 19 bus to and from The Park crematorium, along with new bus stops and a pedestrian crossing
- improvements at the park and ride sites, such as height barriers at the George Junction park and ride
- support for the Royal Parade improvements scheme
- continued staffing of the George Junction park and ride travel centre
- continued personalised travel planning, providing residents with one-to-one advice on Plymouth’s bus services
- a review of the multi-operator ‘Skipper’ ticket to make it better
The programme supports seven of the nine identified passenger priorities within the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure said: “This is the first time the Council has received both capital and revenue funding for our Bus Service Improvement Plan. It’s therefore a great opportunity to provide the bus services people need and the infrastructure to support them, in terms of better passenger information system and new bus stops.”
Plymouth Citybus giver their update:
Service
Summary of changes
23/24
Additional journeys on school day afternoons.
Weekdays 1845 journey becomes 1835 to improve headway. Saturday mornings, 0700 journey withdrawn.
41
First journey starts from Royal Parade instead of Milehouse. Revised times inbound to improve timekeeping.
43
Slight change to timetable to improve corridor with new 43A.
43A
New service on Monday to Friday to uplift frequency to St Budeaux/ Victoria Road.
13, 14, 27
Will be operated by Stagecoach
I have yet to see any mention of this from Stagecoach themselves although their web site isnt the easiest to navigate so its possible I have missed it.
The 27 will soon be run by Stagecoach
For those that want to read more I have a few documents in the PT Library:
Waste of money, the current system is broken as it is and its clear that they want to avoid fixing it by coming up with the biggest white elephant
ReplyDeleteThe main problem with the bus service in Plymouth is PCB, the council threw the city under the bus when they sold up & the company &, vehicles and services don't work
The council couldn't afford to run citybus, back then they had a fleet of old deckers, some second hand 2002 ex London deckers. Go Ahead within 5 years turned the business around with a lot of new double deckers and a few new singles. The biggest problem has been since GoAhead expanded into Cornwall and then bought out Dartline whilst trying to run everything from within Citybus management. It's clear The Cornwall ops need to be split and run as an independent company from Plymouth Citybus just like MoreBus/Salisbury Reds/Damory are within Go South Coast.
DeleteCasting our minds back (way back!) to 2009..
DeleteTHe fleet back then still had a significant number of step entrance buses in service (approx. 19 Step Darts, 11 709s, and 19 Volvo B10 double decks). The batch of Volvo B7's 401 to 419 arrived summer 2009; destined to replace the B10M deckers, which a few of them did, but couldn't replace all of them due to the bus war that ensued.
This competition in late 2009 saw the introduction of a 10 minute service 5 5a to Plymstock, and again this prolonged the life of old step vehicles above. Which probably necessitated some of the 'scrap' Solos and Oxford Wright Darts GA brought in in 2010, probably anything going to clear the remaining step buses!
They really were the good old days weren’t they! I’d love to see B10M deckers, 709s and Step Darts in day to day service around the City again! Throw in those early Dennis SLFs too!
DeleteAs well as taking over or continuing to run Plymouth city Council tendered routes 13,14,19,27,30/31, 52 and 54 plus 200 and Devon county service 59, Stagecoach will be operating Saturday night services on service 1 from Plymouth to Tavistock and service 2 From Plymouth to Saltash from late May until the end of 2025. Service will also operate NYE. Servive 1, leaving Plymouth 1am and 3am and Tavistock midnight and 2am. Service 2 will be hourly from midnight until 4am
ReplyDelete