Go Cornwall Bus

[83G/84D]

To be fair, that's not much different from many outstations or small depots for drivers out and about during the day. I don't know how often Falmouth drivers go back to the depot there but it's not got a huge amount of facilities either.

Falmouth does have facilities for drivers at The Moor though, right near where the buses park. Do drivers for TfC at Penzance spend breaks in Morrison's?! Café isn't open but at least there's a loo and takeaway food!

 

[83G/84D]

Maybe running dead to St Ives for the 16/16A?

Nothing tracking on the 16/16A earlier by the way, so no idea what the Dart was doing.

 

[Busaholic]

Nothing tracking on the 16/16A earlier by the way, so no idea what the Dart was doing.

Is the backroad route that passes St Erth railway station and St Michael's Hospital on its way to Hayle Retail Park operating? It certainly was, as I saw one at the beginning of last month on my way back from hospital. Is the route 505? ( trying to remember.)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Falmouth does have facilities for drivers at The Moor though, right near where the buses park. Do drivers for TfC at Penzance spend breaks in Morrison's?! Café isn't open but at least there's a loo and takeaway food!

Sorry - thought you were talking about the depot locations like Scorrier rather than town centre terminii?

There’s probably too few services in Penzance to justify a separate facility. Haven’t they opened one in Liskeard though?

 

[83G/84D]

Is the backroad route that passes St Erth railway station and St Michael's Hospital on its way to Hayle Retail Park operating? It certainly was, as I saw one at the beginning of last month on my way back from hospital. Is the route 505? ( trying to remember.)

515 does run but not along the main road east past St Erth station.

Sorry - thought you were talking about the depot locations like Scorrier rather than town centre terminii?

There’s probably too few services in Penzance to justify a separate facility. Haven’t they opened one in Liskeard though?

I was talking about remote depots then Falmouth came up. I was making the point that drivers there have facilities albeit away from the depot whereas I was unaware of the facilities / arrangements at Penzance. How do drivers manage for tea / toilet breaks?

 

[MB162435]

1st June is when TfC will be going to a full timetable apparently, with double deckers finally making their debut, with the ex-Kernow ones as well maybe?

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I was talking about remote depots then Falmouth came up. I was making the point that drivers there have facilities albeit away from the depot whereas I was unaware of the facilities / arrangements at Penzance. How do drivers manage for tea / toilet breaks?

I guess the point I was making is that Scorrier or Penzance are similar to Falmouth depot. Drivers are unlikely to run back in the middle of the day so facilities may be rather scant, being mainly parking with perhaps a portacabin/storeroom.

FK will have the advantage in having existing town centre facilities in drivers with places like the bus stations at Penzance or other town centre locations like Falmouth. Don't know if they are FK's exclusively - one for @richw

 

[richw]

FK will have the advantage in having existing town centre facilities in drivers with places like the bus stations at Penzance or other town centre locations like Falmouth. Don't know if they are FK's exclusively - one for @richw

Yes they are exclusive for FK. TfC management barred us from using any of the facilities at Newquay. All of our breaks are now at Truro or St Austell. Could be interesting for bus parking at Truro now

 

[Busaholic]

515 does run but not along the main road east past St Erth station.

That was, though, where I saw an apparently in-service 515 during the first week of operation- could it be that the driver, in both cases, was unaware of the true routeing to be taken?

 

[Lizard1324]

A "Go Cornwall" branded Dart was seen going east past St Erth railway station on the A30 at 1525hrs this afternoon. It didn't continue on the A30 so unsure where it was going.

There was a tfc dart not in service headig into the helston depot today

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Yes they are exclusive for FK. TfC management barred us from using any of the facilities at Newquay. All of our breaks are now at Truro or St Austell. Could be interesting for bus parking at Truro now

Thanks for that. I guess that in Truro, will they park up in the coach park round the back of M&S? They have the right to use the bus station for loading but not for parking?

Here's a post from the excellent Plymothian Transit blog http://www.plymothiantransit.com/2020/03/go-liskeard.html showing the new welfare and travel office in Liskeard. I'm fairly certain that Liskeard has never had a bus travel office. There was a small depot in the very earliest days of WNOC but that was it?

Wonder if they might not do something similar in Newquay?

 

[Goldfish62]

Thanks for that. I guess that in Truro, will they park up in the coach park round the back of M&S? They have the right to use the bus station for loading but not for parking?

Here's a post from the excellent Plymothian Transit blog http://www.plymothiantransit.com/2020/03/go-liskeard.html showing the new welfare and travel office in Liskeard. I'm fairly certain that Liskeard has never had a bus travel office. There was a small depot in the very earliest days of WNOC but that was it?

Wonder if they might not do something similar in Newquay?

Access to operator owned bus stations on equal terms is a statutory requirement. The only grounds on which TfC could be refused stand space is capacity.

 

[83G/84D]

There was a tfc dart not in service headig into the helston depot today

Apparently there were some vehicles on training duties yesterday.

 

[Lizard1324]

Apparently there were some vehicles on training duties yesterday.

Maybe it was only saw the rear of the bus before it drove into the parking area and consumed by a cloud of dust

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Access to operator owned bus stations on equal terms is a statutory requirement. The only grounds on which TfC could be refused stand space is capacity.

I know they have access rights (i.e. to the stands) on the grounds of fair competition etc (which comes from the Southern Vectis case) but couldn't recall if that extends to parking.

 

[Goldfish62]

I know they have access rights (i.e. to the stands) on the grounds of fair competition etc (which comes from the Southern Vectis case) but couldn't recall if that extends to parking.

Yes, access is on an equal basis which includes layover bays if there's room.

 

[Busaholic]

All three buses I've seen around PZ this afternoon have been PCBs. First off, one blinded 'NOT IN SERVICE' that I originally thought to be a 39A, as it was about to ascend the Marazion By-Pass, seemed to be about the right time, and appeared to have a middle aged male passenger sitting at the offside rear, but when I checked the times it was 15-20 minutes early for that. Then around 5 p.m. another with the Not in Service message was going past Mounts Bay Coaches premises PZ bound: finally, a def in service 16 to St Ives at 5.35 from Sainsbury's that both arrived and departed devoid of passengers.

 

[richw]

Apparently there were some vehicles on training duties yesterday.

there was 3 at once who were asked to move on yesterday as they were obstructing service buses. There was no room For service buses to layover and one of them had parked obstructing use of stand G (Service 85 bay) as to get a longer bus on stand G it needs to swing wide round the corner.

there has also been training buses all round Newquay and st Austell. They are going full service on 1 June and have started a huge number of agency drivers route training this week as well as permanent staff who were placed on full pay leave prior to commencing employment.
a few points, they are planning using a decker on the 24 in the Evenings, one of their staff was arguing With someone on the phone yesterday about the low bridges. Whoever he was talking to then argued that google said there was no low bridges on the route! that staff person went round the 24 route taking photos Of various points and bridge signs! The person was still arguing with him the route was suitable for deckers. So we can look forward to some open top enviro 400 conversions at Par and Holmbush! There is no way a decker will turn at Fowey safe harbour neither! Despite assurances that their management know the area the conversations I overheard yesterday clearly dismiss this theory!

 

[Yarp1]

To be fair, that's not much different from many outstations or small depots for drivers out and about during the day. I don't know how often Falmouth drivers go back to the depot there but it's not got a huge amount of facilities either.

Falmouth drivers have basics like toilet and small crib room at the depot but they also have a drivers room with facility's on falmouth moor. Same for pz drivers and truro and st austall. I think Helston have a porta cabin in their yard with basic facility's but not 100% sure about thst

 

[Lizard1324]

Falmouth drivers have basics like toilet and small crib room at the depot but they also have a drivers room with facility's on falmouth moor. Same for pz drivers and truro and st austall. I think Helston have a porta cabin in their yard with basic facility's but not 100% sure about thst

Helston do have a porta cabin, but it was there before tfc were here so might not be available for them to use.

 

[83G/84D]

Dart 256 in Helston and a Enviro 400 on the depot.

 

[83G/84D]

Dart 256 in Camborne on training duties at around 3 this afternoon. OTS were using a Mellor bodied Fiat demonstrator SJ69 EXP on service 42.

 

[Nickincornwall]

FK and pcb had discussed a joint ticketing scheme that CC rejected as they claimed had their own CC ticket coming soon... but they’ve never held discussions with any operator about this ticket!

I suspect the reason Cc said no is because they are looking for an all modes ticket. Bus, Rail and Ferry. It is easier for CC to run a joint ticketing as the old PTE areas do because there is less of a competition commission issue rather thsn if bus companies try to do it themselves. Ghr issue would not be with the bus operators (pcb have the all operator Skipper ticket in Plymouth) but rail tickets operates on different systems as we saw over the now overpriced Ride Cornwall ticket not to mention the Ferry operatorscwho before Covid 19 would have been very difficult. Ferry operators include Toms on the River Fowey, Padstow Harbour Commissers not to mention the fal ferry operators and then do yiu include the Isles of Scilly in this project. Myself i think it shoild start with buses and trains then build, i suspect this has blown the councils mind trying to do it in one go.

 

[Nickincornwall]

I now have an image of somebody from the council going around Cornwall this summer checking each contracted vehicle with a colour swab to ensure it's TfC red and not TfL red!

Red seems the in Colour it is also the Network West Midlands colour with both Diamond and National West Midlands buses wearing this on joint commercial services and what thst hss shoen is it is possible for the two biggesr operators to work together on joint services when brokered by the transport coordinators.

 

[Nickincornwall]

There are so many little bits that make me think what we’re CC thinking or where is the logic. Take a Sunday on the 24, Fk first service is commercial from Par to Meva, TfC run fowey to par then run express back to st Austell station, and FK commence the full route at Par. There is a reverse Of this journey On a Sunday evening. Express st Austell to par then onward to Fowey, whilst Kernow do full route meva to Par.

Richard this is just what happens elsewhere and you should be aware that FK identified what they would run commercially the tender base was then to fill the gaps required by CC. In some cases as is allowed the base would be met plus an enhancement. Now muddy the waters with Covid 19 and the subsequent depot closures at places like Bodmin and Eden and we don't know for certain when or if these depots will reopen, the later probably depends on Eden. As in the rest of the economy there will be changes and FK may realise that with the smaller geographical area a streamlined depot structure is better.

There has also been much made of the lack of bus drivers, i would think with te demise of Shearing that issue may be much less now, although recruitment and induction has continued and i gather that facilities provided by Tfc have already been provided quickly at some depots. As we also know facilities at Liskeard and Truro were resolved and Newquay has been allocated given that as identified by Buses magazine Tfc is the biggest operator in Newquay.

 

[richw]

subsequent depot closures at places like Bodmin and Eden and we don't know for certain when or if these depots will reopen

I don’t know the plans for either, but personally I would save on whatever the leasing and operating costs of these are and not reopen them.
unless new routes are planned Bodmin has 1 27 duty and a couple of college runs. Eden maybe more attractive with the P&R (if that is still required in future, it’s not been running on my last few visits to Eden With only the nearest car parks in use) , but on top of that the 24 PVR of 3 and the 101 PVR of 1, plus a couple of college runs.

 

[richw]

There has also been much made of the lack of bus drivers, i would think with te demise of Shearing that issue may be much less now,

I thought exactly the same yesterday. They already have a couple of ex Shearings who made the jump earlier in the year as they anticipated the failure!
Talking to one of the senior drivers they had Around 80 vacancies to fill and have had approx 40 permanent applications at the time I spoke with him at the start of the week.

 

[Busaholic]

I suspect the reason Cc said no is because they are looking for an all modes ticket. Bus, Rail and Ferry. It is easier for CC to run a joint ticketing as the old PTE areas do because there is less of a competition commission issue rather thsn if bus companies try to do it themselves. Ghr issue would not be with the bus operators (pcb have the all operator Skipper ticket in Plymouth) but rail tickets operates on different systems as we saw over the now overpriced Ride Cornwall ticket not to mention the Ferry operatorscwho before Covid 19 would have been very difficult. Ferry operators include Toms on the River Fowey, Padstow Harbour Commissers not to mention the fal ferry operators and then do yiu include the Isles of Scilly in this project. Myself i think it shoild start with buses and trains then build, i suspect this has blown the councils mind trying to do it in one go.

There is absolutely no chance of the Isles of Scilly ferry being included in the ticket: even if the Steamship Company agreed, which is a zero possibility given the fractious relationship between them and Cornwall Council from the very start of the latter, the ticket price would make Ride Cornwall seem like a bargain basement price. In any case, with almost all ferries weather is a huge factor these days, with services cancelled almost at the drop of a hat (or, rather, the hat blowing off in the ever-present wind.)

 

[Busaholic]

tTT
Is the TfC/PCB red the same shade as London bus red?

Now there's a can of worms! Anyone got any ideas as to what constitutes TfL red? You'll be marked down if you just quote Pantone 485 C and Royal Mail.

 

[Goldfish62]

Now there's a can of worms! Anyone got any ideas as to what constitutes TfL red? You'll be marked down if you just quote Pantone 485 C and Royal Mail.

The paint code is quoted in tender specs, but obviously it would be extremely worrying if I could quote it from memory.