Go Cornwall Bus

[richw]

I saw it again yesterday. It was not tracking at all but was coming up and down Market Jew Street. It must be a shuttle.

It is a shuttle for Madron during the roadworks affecting that route as I’ve already posted twice.

 

[MarkC]

What has happened with Citybus/ Go Cornwall ballot?

 

[richw]

What has happened with Citybus/ Go Cornwall ballot?

A New offer has been made and is out to ballot for Plymouth.

15.70 back dated to March 2024,
16.33 from January 2025.

I’m led to believe there are some strings attached affecting some scheduling arrangements.

 

[OptareOlympus]

A New offer has been made and is out to ballot for Plymouth.

15.70 back dated to March 2024,
16.33 from January 2025.

I’m led to believe there are some strings attached affecting some scheduling arrangements.

Good offer considering the abysmal offer that was made and was recommended to be accepted by the RMT at Go South Coast/morebus last month.

£15 (Mon to Fri) up from £13.50 where it had been for 2 years.
£16 (Sat and Sun)
Rostered overtime additional hourly payment of 50p removed.
3 Year deal with only 2% in yrs 2 and 3.

Sick pay reduced to 80% for second absence in a 12 month period.
Still no limit to unpaid duty time, no maximum spreadovers or minimum turnarounds.

It is truly the worst offer and deal I've seen in 26 years in the industry especially considering the region ranks in the highest priced places to live in the country. The Mon to Fri rate likely won't even reach £16 by 2027.

If I were a Unite member in Cornwall, I'd grab that deal now whilst it's on the table.

 

[Goldfish62]

A New offer has been made and is out to ballot for Plymouth.

15.70 back dated to March 2024,
16.33 from January 2025.

I’m led to believe there are some strings attached affecting some scheduling arrangements.

Thanks for posting.

That's a good offer putting them on a rate that would be competitive pretty much anywhere in the country.

 

[richw]

Thanks for posting.

That's a good offer putting them on a rate that would be competitive pretty much anywhere in the country.

It does have strings attached to scheduling arrangements. Not sure how much impact they have as I wasn’t supplied information on what they are by my contact.

 

[M0LE]

There is a waiting list of Drivers from First Kernow trying to get in to GoCornwall as they are full in each depot whereas first are still short
Having worked for both I personally would only go back to First but I won’t say why
I will say the more professional of the two is Not GoCornwall

 

[richw]

There is a waiting list of Drivers from First Kernow trying to get in to GoCornwall as they are full in each depot whereas first are still short
Having worked for both I personally would only go back to First but I won’t say why
I will say the more professional of the two is Not GoCornwall

First gives the impression of a sinking ship right now, especially reading the content of letter sent to drivers recently.

 

[M0LE]

They are getting a share of transport for Cornwall funding now though so I wonder how much that is

 

[Peter Philips]

They are getting a share of transport for Cornwall funding now though so I wonder how much that is

What is it for (other than low fares pilot presumably soon to end as funding dries up) as thought its local bus services network is still 100% commercial with Go-Ahead providing all supported services?

 

[DaveHarries]

A sizeable number of route and timetable revisions for GCB effective 01st or 02nd September 2024 which involve GCB and Plymouth Citybus routes.

PH0000135 – PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD – bustimes.org

bustimes.org

Dave

 

[Goldfish62]

A sizeable number of route and timetable revisions for GCB effective 01st or 02nd September 2024 which involve GCB and Plymouth Citybus routes.


Dave

A brief glance shows most of the Cornwall ones to be revised school journeys.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jul 2024 ==

The pay offer has been accepted:

Bus 'chaos' averted as Plymouth drivers accept pay offer

A driver's hourly rate will increase from £15 to £15.70

www.plymouthherald.co.uk

Last month, drivers from Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus were balloted on strike action in a pay dispute with union Unite predicting it could lead to “bus chaos” with strikes completely shutting down Plymouth’s bus network.

But drivers from the two companies, part of Go South West, have now accepted a two-year pay deal following the two-week ballot. Nearly two-thirds of Go South West drivers voted in favour of the offer, which includes a 4.67% pay increase for 2024.

A driver's hourly rate will increase from £15 to £15.70, effective from March 31, 2024, with a further minimum increase to £16.33 effective from December 29, 2024. Annual earnings will increase from £31,200 to £32,983 between March 31 and December 28 this year.

 

[M0LE]

Hold on for dear life on any Go Cornwall Newquay service; it seems like they only employ rally drivers now. Passengers always commented that Kernow drivers are more professional and I couldn’t agree more, most likely due to the presence of Green Road. A lady today was holding on to her pram as it was all over the place.

Having worked for this company I confirm that no care is given by anyone in management in regard to complaints, training or standards. If Go Ahead introduced Drive Green/Green Road I’m sure many drivers would be in the red all day. Poor passengers.

Let’s hope in 2028 they get booted out of Cornwall and First get back on top of things, although more likely is First leaving completely and giving it over to them.

 

[83G/84D]

A friend of the family was thrown from a seat on a GCB bus some months ago after the driver braked very heavily and suddenly when stopping for them to alight. The person was injured (fractured shoulder) and spent time in hospital and I believe there is an ongoing complaint lodged.

 

[fgwrich]

Hold on for dear life on any Go Cornwall Newquay service; it seems like they only employ rally drivers now. Passengers always commented that Kernow drivers are more professional and I couldn’t agree more, most likely due to the presence of Green Road. A lady today was holding on to her pram as it was all over the place.

Having worked for this company I confirm that no care is given by anyone in management in regard to complaints, training or standards. If Go Ahead introduced Drive Green/Green Road I’m sure many drivers would be in the red all day. Poor passengers.

Let’s hope in 2028 they get booted out of Cornwall and First get back on top of things, although more likely is First leaving completely and giving it over to them.

Not just Newquay it seems, I did a move last summer involving a GCB E200MMC out to Hayle for a HST back to Penzance. I think the GCB driver must have been an ex Rally driver too, poor MMC took a beating that night.

 

[richw]

These comments perhaps indicate the reasoning for so many battered panels and tape repairs.

Out of interest how does their running time compare to First on common corridors?

In Plymouth citybus seem to have less time point to point than Stagecoach and Citybus are often seen racing about, whilst Stagecoach run around comfortably for the passengers with slower timetables

 

[kernowbususer]

Running times at contract award were the same as the previous operators.

Many routes had time added in the intervening four years with further additional running time added in Newquay for the summer peak.

First’s retiming in April of this year has lead to some slack in timings and has come at the expense of the 27 and 91 being subsumed in to the Tinner routes and the lose of even headways across all services.

 

[Goldfish62]

Penzance-based routes seem well timed. I've only ever had one poor drive and that resulted in the bus running ridiculously early.

 

[DaveHarries]

Hold on for dear life on any Go Cornwall Newquay service; it seems like they only employ rally drivers now.

I had a ride on a Service 21 from St. Austell to St. Columb Minor on 19th July and found the ride to be perfectly good on the E200 MMC with an on-time departure. One piece of sharp-ish braking which was caused by a car driver coming out from a side road and coming close to not giving the bus driver enough stopping distance.

I wonder who decided that the timetables should be as they are? It sounds as if someone somewhere should have given GCB some flexibility on the running times.

Let’s hope in 2028 they get booted out of Cornwall and First get back on top of things, although more likely is First leaving completely and giving it over to them.

Agreed. Cornwall County Council may well want to keep all the eggs in one basket but I think that the impending closure of First's depot at Helston will do them no favours. The comments above that "there is a waiting list of Drivers from First Kernow trying to get in to GoCornwall as they are full in each depot whereas first are still short" and that "First gives the impression of a sinking ship right now, especially reading the content of letter sent to drivers recently." (posts 2587 & 2588 on this thread - I wonder what was in that communication referred to in the latter) make interesting reading.

Penzance-based routes seem well timed. I've only ever had one poor drive and that resulted in the bus running ridiculously early.

Agreed having used some of them.

Dave

 

[Goldfish62]

The comments above that "there is a waiting list of Drivers from First Kernow trying to get in to GoCornwall as they are full in each depot whereas first are still short" and that "First gives the impression of a sinking ship right now, especially reading the content of letter sent to drivers recently." (posts 2587 & 2588 on this thread - I wonder what was in that communication referred to in the latter) make interesting reading.

The letter to staff is in post #20574 on the First South West thread.

 

[Busaholic]

Penzance-based routes seem well timed. I've only ever had one poor drive and that resulted in the bus running ridiculously early.

As my bus travelling days are over, I can only observe bus driving from the view of a pedestrian, though often seated, or a car driver and I have to say that the only occasions I've seen of bad or reckless driving were both in the early days of GCB. There's been the odd case of lack of signalling into or away from stops, but no more so than with FK buses.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Upcoming service changes at GCB from 1st September:

ServiceOperated bySummary of changes
5/5AGCB
8GCBRevised route on school day journey to operate via Lamorna and Merry Maidens
10/10SGCBRevised school day journey on 10S to serve Pelynt
11/11A/11SGCB
Revised evening times to ensure connections with trains at Bodmin Parkway

2015 departure from Plymouth moved to 2050

12/12A/12DGCB
Revised times for journeys to/from Budehaven School

Additional journey at 0927 between Launceston and Callington

15GCBSchool day journey ameded to operate more direct between Leedstown and Fraddam
21GCB
0655 ex Newquay to be retimed to depart at 0650 and run via Whitemore.

1533 ex St Austell to also run via Whitemoor. This provides for pupils at Poltair School

25GCB
Revised timetable to cater for changes to school times

Additional time added later afternoons to improve reliability

26/27EGCBRevised timetable to cater for changes to school session times
30GCBAfternoon timetable improved
34GCBSchool Day/College Day codes revised
36/36A/36SGCB
36S will no longer serve Carnon Downs estate going to/from Penair School

36 currently starting at Playing Place at 0857 to start at Truro Bus Station at 0845

39/39AGCBJourney departing Leedstown at 0739 will drop off at Humphry Davy School
40/40AGCBRevised timetable to extend service to Barncoose Hospital, to connect with service 46 on most journeys. This will provide links from St Day to Barncoose as well as from Illogan. Times adjusted accordingly to make the above connection.
46/46AGCBRevised service to extend service from Illogan to Barncoose. At Barncoose, service will connect with service 40 to provide additional travel opportunities to Redruth and beyond/
48GCBRevised times Monday - Saturday evenings
49GCBDue to reliability issues, the service will no longer service Barncoose Hospital, but will end at Redruth Station
51GCB
56GCBSaturday timetable reverts to reduced service between Newquay and Padstow for the winter period
58GCBEarly morning journeys are retimed
59GCBMorning journeys are retimed to provide earlier arrival at RAF St Mawgan
70/70A/70BGCB
Additional journeys to serve Crafyhole and Sheviock during the daytime

Sunday timetable reduced to two hourly for the winter period

73/73AGCBRemoval of additional summer evening services
74GCBWhen Callywith College is closed, the 0750 from Callington will start from Gunnislake for students at Liskeard School
84GCBRevised timetable with additional morning trip on school days
85GCB
Revised timetable following completion of A30 works

Revised route in Newquay due to A392 closure. Service will operate via Trevemper Road and Gannel Road

88GCBRevised route in Newquay due to A392 closure. Service will operate via Trevemper Road and Edgecombe Ave. Certain journeys will service Redruth School
90GCB
Service amended to serve Newquay airport from Truro.

Connections to/from Wadebridge can be made at St Columb Major onto service 92

92/92SGCB92S from Tretherass School will only run to Blackrock and no longer serve Wadebridge
93/93E/93S/94GCBRevised timetable following completion of A30 works
95GCB
Revised timetable for Budehaven School

The 0705 departure from Bude will run 5 minutes earlier throughout

95AGCBNew service to provide a link between Budemeadows, Widemouth Bay and Bude
96GCB
Revised timetable to accommodate changes to school times as Sir James Smith and Bodmin College

96A journeys renumbered to 96

128/218/219GCBRevised timed for Budehaven School, and other journeys impacted by school changes
304GCBRevised timetable to improve reliability
315GCBRevised timetable to improve reliability
493GCBRevised timetable to improve reliability
494GCBRevised timetable to improve reliability
495GCBRevised timetable to improve reliability

September Service Changes

There will be a number of service changes coming into effect from Sunday 1st September.

www.gocornwallbus.co.uk

Really glad to see the 96A renumbered to the 96, as it followed the same route and only confused passengers. Also glad to see that the 95 won't be extended somewhere else again, I noticed an increase in reliability in the past week now that the route only operates between Bude and Wadebridge (bar the first bus of the day to Bude).

 

[Busaholic]

Double decker on the 5/A today, possibly earlier in the week too.

 

[Goldfish62]

Double decker on the 5/A today, possibly earlier in the week too.

Ah yes. Looking at Bustimes it was 5006 today.

 

[Goldfish62]

The new Cornwall timetable books are now available. I picked up one at Penzance last week.

Usual format, and covers the small number of October changes as well. However, the 16/16A have been missed out in error!

GorranBus services are now included, although they're not on the map and it's not stated whether or not these are part of the TfC network for ticketing purposes. I assume they're not.

Also seems like the 7 covering the unserved Land's End - Gurnards Head section of the winter Land's End Coaster won't be reappearing.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Fares at GCB will be changing from 29 September.

GCB shared the following chart on their website:

Link: https://www.gocornwallbus.co.uk/changes-bus-fares-cornwall

Adult Ticket:
Cornwall Day, currently £7.00, will increase to £7.50
Cornwall 5 Day Bundle, currently £25.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Cornwall week, currently £25.00, will be £30.00
Cornwall Month, currently £90, will be abolished from 29 September
Town Day, currently £3.50, will be £4.50
Town 5 Day Bundle, currently £14.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Town week, currently £14.00, will be £16.00
Town month, currently £56.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Child Ticket:
Cornwall Day, currently £4.50, will be £5.00
Cornwall 5 Day Bundle, currently £15.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Cornwall Week, currently £15.00, will be £20.00
Cornwall Month, currently £50.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Town Day, currently £2.20, will be £3.00
Town 5 Day Bundle, currently £8.80, will be abolished from 29 September
Town Week, currently £8.80, will be £12.00
Town Month, currently £50.00, will be abolished from 29 September
Family ticket:
Cornwall Day, currently £15.00, will remain the same.
Cornwall Week, currently £50.00, will be abolished from 29 September

For those using Month tickets, there will be an increase in price if one converts to Week tickets. There will be a significant increase in price for those using Family Week Tickets 7 days a week, who would convert to Day Tickets.

Currently, this will only impact a small amount of people due to the £2 fare cap, but depending on what happens to the cap, there could be a big impact for regular commuters on GCB services.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

For those using Month tickets, there will be an increase in price if one converts to Week tickets. There will be a significant increase in price for those using Family Week Tickets 7 days a week, who would convert to Day Tickets.

Currently, this will only impact a small amount of people due to the £2 fare cap, but depending on what happens to the cap, there could be a big impact for regular commuters on GCB services.

The question is how many families are using their tickets 7 days a week?

In terms of commuters, it's really the week ticket increases (and the abolition of monthly tickets) that will be the greater concern.

 

[Goldfish62]

Fares at GCB will be changing from 29 September.

GCB shared the following chart on their website:
View attachment 166165
Link: https://www.gocornwallbus.co.uk/changes-bus-fares-cornwall


For those using Month tickets, there will be an increase in price if one converts to Week tickets. There will be a significant increase in price for those using Family Week Tickets 7 days a week, who would convert to Day Tickets.

Currently, this will only impact a small amount of people due to the £2 fare cap, but depending on what happens to the cap, there could be a big impact for regular commuters on GCB services.

This is for all TfC services. The same info appears on the Kernow website.

 

[richw]

Fares at GCB will be changing from 29 September.

GCB shared the following chart on their website:
View attachment 166165
Link: https://www.gocornwallbus.co.uk/changes-bus-fares-cornwall


For those using Month tickets, there will be an increase in price if one converts to Week tickets. There will be a significant increase in price for those using Family Week Tickets 7 days a week, who would convert to Day Tickets.

Currently, this will only impact a small amount of people due to the £2 fare cap, but depending on what happens to the cap, there could be a big impact for regular commuters on GCB services.

Its Cornwall council imposed changes but the contractors and partners will be the one who get the complaints

 

[embers25]

For Cornwall tickets that is a one third increase for monthly tickets from £90 for a monthly ticket to £120 for a 4-weekly ticket and the five days of tickets its a 50% increase from £25 to £37.50. For town tickets, 5 days increase from £14 to £22.50 (61%).

They may seem small changes but these are huge, particularly if the £2 fare is withdrawn.