South Devon Bus War

[mbonwick]

One of the Decker's currently on test

Looks more like it was on delivery to me - I believe 668 BV is one of the trade plates belonging to BENs Transport (who deliver ADLs new vehicles to customers). Also, given that the E400s have been at the Scania dealers for about 2 weeks now, I'd expect them to have had number plates fitted!

 

[RPI]

Of course what if loads of new customers start using the service? which helps cover the cost?

Can't see it somehow, Tavvy isn't the largest town really especially to sustain 5 buses an hour.

 

[455driver]

Either way, the real winner here is the customer!

In the short term yes, but once its all sorted and somebody has withdrawn their services there is only one way the fares will go!
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Can't see it somehow, Tavvy isn't the largest town really especially to sustain 5 buses an hour.

Have you tried to get from that side into or out of Plymouth during the rush hours?

 

[RPI]

In the short term yes, but once its all sorted and somebody has withdrawn their services there is only one way the fares will go!
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Have you tried to get from that side into or out of Plymouth during the rush hours?

i generally avoid Plymouth to be honest! Of course the other factor that will have an effect would be when (if) the railway re opens to Tavistock.

 

[Rich McLean]

i generally avoid Plymouth to be honest! Of course the other factor that will have an effect would be when (if) the railway re opens to Tavistock.

The Railway Station will be to the South West of the town, no where near the town centre, which is not idea for everyone. I would imagine a bus service will be registered at the time, which does a loop of the town and provides a connection to the train

 

[Rapidash]

Saw a few of them parked outside the Torquay depot earlier, on one of my (very rare now, thank Zeus) full length 12 trips. Lots of new signage appearing along the route between Torquay and Paignton. Quite like the interchange signs, which could be good at all the main stops.

 

[RPI]

Will certainly be interesting now, who will blink first?!?!

 

[Rich McLean]

Some news on CityBus fares to and from Tavi, which they kept quiet up until now

From PCB

ALL PRICES VALID FROM 5th OCTOBER 2013
Buy a single Dayrider on your key card either online or from our Travel Centre. Dayriders are also available from the driver, PayPoint and on Plymouthbus Mobile.

1 day unlimited travel across zone 1, 2 and 3

Adult dayrider = £4.20

Child / Student Dayrider = £3.50


Buy 12 dayrider tickets (for the price of 10) on your key card either online, or from our Travel Centre.

Any 12 days unlimited travel across zone 1, 2 and 3

12 Adult Dayriders = £42

12 Child / Student Dayriders = £35


Buy a Dayrider Duo from the driver, PayPoint or on Plymouthbus Mobile

1 day unlimited travel across zone 1, 2 and 3 for 2 people traveling together

Dayrider Duo = £8


Buy Grouprider tickets from the driver, PayPoint or on Plymouthbus Mobile

1 day unlimited travel acorss zone 1, 2 and 3 for 4 people traveling together

Grouprider = £13

12 Trip
Buy 12 Trip tickets on your key card either online or from our Travel Centre.

12 single trips across travel across zone 1, 2 and 3

12 Adult Multi Trip = £45

12 Child / Student Multi Trip = £34

The Day Rider fare on the full Tavistock service now being cheaper than the day return!

--------------

Of course these fares are prompted by First offering some good deals of their own so Citybus had to react. The advantage Citybus have is the greater coverage of the Plymouth area which might make their day tickets more attractive to some passengers.

Zone 3 includes Tavistock, Zone 2 is the Outer City including Torpoint and Ivybridge, and Inner zone is south of the Parkway (A38) and West of the Plym and East of St Beadeaux Bypass
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More news peeps.

Another Batch of Deckers from Go-Ahead London are on their way to Plymouth

These will supplement the rest of the fleet, and go on the Torpoint Services as they have ferry lifts, as well as replacing the Darts on the 5/5a, now that First have canned the 6 and 7 in Plymstock. These will provide much needed capacity over the Christmas period

Another Batch of Enviro 400s will appear in November, which will go onto the 21/21A routes, meaning that the full PVR on that route will all be new deckers.

The Ex London Deckers will then enable PCB to replace the older Darts (N Reg and the worst R reg examples)
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On display at the Plaza in Plymouth City Centre this weekend. Service Commences on Monday
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Blue Flash

 

[Rich McLean]

Had a ride on the 12 today. Very nice, however, the Stagecoach Gold branded buses have better seats.

Also, it seems that a PVR of 4 on the 12 doesn't work, as on the first day of operation, an X reg President was rolled out on it for a run to Tavi at about 6pm this evening. Not good on the first day of operation.

Also, funny this morning, as the MD was waiting at the Bus Stop in the City Cenre, and when the driver pulled in he scraped the underside of the bus on the cerb. He didn't look best pleased
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More VOSA changes:

PH0000135/94 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Variation Accepted: Operating between Saltash, Oaklands Green and Eldburton, Blackstone Close given service number 5/5A effective from 01-Dec-2013. To amend Route and Timetable.


PH0000135/77 - PLYMOUTH CITYBUS LTD, MILEHOUSE, MILEHOUSE ROAD, PLYMOUTH, PL3 4AA Cancellation Accepted: Operating between PLYMOUTH ROYAL PARADE and PLYMOUTH ROYAL PARADE given service number 43A effective from 01-Dec-2013.


I predicted that this would be what the batch of ex-London Deckers would be for that are currently arriving for Citybus.

Its clear that they have more planned and yesterday we saw a hint of the next stage in the battle for Plymouth passengers. Of course we cant tell much from VOSA, this could be as simple as joining the current 43A Saltash – City with the current 5 5A City – Elburton to create another cross city service with service levels remaining pretty much the same. I don't know, but I suspect there will be more activity on the VOSA site over the coming days…

This could well get quite messy

http://www.plymouthtransit.co.uk

 

[plymothian]

Hang on! Your addition to your last post is a direct cut and paste from Plymothian Transit

 

[Rich McLean]

Hang on! Your addition to your last post is a direct cut and paste from Plymothian Transit

It is, but edited

I have now included the link and quote tags

 

[plymothian]

The 5 & 5A are being pulled out of Oreston and Billacombe in Plymstock, with all services routed via Pomphlett Road and the fire station; in Saltash the 5A will serve Yellowtor anticlockwise and the 5 clockwise, and there will be an evening service.

Basically Plymstock will lose out a good service, whilst Saltash benefit from an increased one.

 

[burns20]

As part of the new Gold service how does someone get from Dartmouth to Totnes on a Sunday?

 

[richw]

As part of the new Gold service how does someone get from Dartmouth to Totnes on a Sunday?

With great difficulty according to Traveline SW.

www.travelinesw.com

 

[starrymarkb]

As part of the new Gold service how does someone get from Dartmouth to Totnes on a Sunday?

Same as it is/was with First. Sunday service from Easter (usually) until September.

 

[Rich McLean]

The 5/5a being pulled out of Oreston is probally an agreement with First, as 90% of the passengers in Oreston have stayed loyal with First.

Missing out Billacombe isn't going to affect things too much, hardly anyone got on around there.

The rest of the route remains the same

 

[burns20]

Thanks. Thought I couldn't see anything, but expected there should be something.

 

[starrymarkb]

Knowing Stagecoach I suspect they'll keep an eye on things as the route develops, if they believe a Sunday service to be viable next winter then one may appear, but for now they are just running the same service as First did.

 

[Rapidash]

Went down to Plymouth on the Gold today - good bus, and actually has legroom. Can I have this on the 12 from Brixham? Kthxbye Even the wifi worked!

My one moment of confusion is this: Why on earth is it not terminating and starting at Bretonside? Other than Bretonside looking like one of the circles of hell? Reason I ask is that its start point on Royal Parade is utterly jammed with suburban routes, making it hard for it to get its slot. Not to mention that the shelter is jammed full most of the time.

Whoever owns the station should probably do themselves a favour and introduce the same stand system like at Paignton/Exeter/every other known bus station.

Would probably provide about 20-30 stands, if they rejigged the staff car park and demolished that odd little turn around stop at the top end.

 

[Rich McLean]

I would like to think once the Millbay Development is in full swing, their maybe scope for a new Bus Station.

The way things are in Plymouth at the mo, the bottom end of the city centre, apart from the market and a few independent shops on Cornwall street, will be all flats and apartments after the development, so it maybe an idea to place a bus station down there.

 

[starrymarkb]

My one moment of confusion is this: Why on earth is it not terminating and starting at Bretonside? Other than Bretonside looking like one of the circles of hell? Reason I ask is that its start point on Royal Parade is utterly jammed with suburban routes, making it hard for it to get its slot. Not to mention that the shelter is jammed full most of the time.

I suspect it's to do with the council's very high departure charges to use the bus station.

 

[Rich McLean]

Formal Press release from PCB: http://www.plymouthbus.co.uk/about-us/news/citybus-invest-in-new-cross-city-link

December 1st will see the launch of Plymouth Citybus’ second cross city link operating between Saltash and Plymstock.

The new route, which will be named the 5 and 5A will run up to every 10 minutes between Plymstock Fire Station and Saltash Oaklands Drive, via the City Centre.

Saltash will not only benefit from increased Monday to Saturday daytime frequency but also an up to every 30 minutes service Monday to Saturday evenings and Sundays. At Oaklands Drive the 5 will operate clockwise around Latchbrook, with the 5A running anti clockwise around the same route, so every bus stop will be served.

In Plymstock both services will run a new route direct via Pomphlett Road to the fire station where the 5 will now operate via Dolphin Court and Stanbourgh continuing on its current route to Elburton and Staddiscombe. The the 5A will operate via Goosewell Road and continue to Holmwood and Staddiscombe on its current route.

Managing Director Richard Stevens said “We are delighted to introduce a new cross city link. This follows on from the success of our 21/21A cross city service, launched earlier in the year. The new service will give an increased frequency in Saltash, whilst at the same time offer direct access to facilities such as the life centre and the train station from Plymstock”.

Operating from 4th November Plymouth Citybus has also announced that it has managed to make an amendment to its new 103 school service, which will now allow the bus to serve DHS boys school from Plympton.

The revised service will now serve Plymouth High, DHS Boys, DHS Girls, St Boniface and Notre Dame School.

Full timetables and route maps are available here

 

[plymothian]

PCB might be backtracking on their decision following another accepted variation for the 5/A on VOSA effective of 16 December.

 

[Rich McLean]

Looks as if the route may change again, so that it serves Lands Park instead of Broadway West.

Then possibly in the new year register a new route from Derriford to Moutbatton, which will serve Broadway West, reinstating a direct link between Plymstock and the Hospital via the City Centre
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First new route 3A will be interesting to see how that takes off

 

[plymothian]

With the way traffic is in Plymouth, a few orbital routes avoiding the city centre might be better!

 

[Rich McLean]

Bus Fire on the A38 apparantly has just been cleared. Could be one of the buses on the 45

 

[starrymarkb]

Last day of the X80 and look what was on it...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capuchinoking/10489290324/

 

[richw]

Last day of the X80 and look what was on it...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/capuchinoking/10489290324/

There was another picture I stumbled across with this and a Stagecoach Gold bus together which I favourited earlier on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/capuchinoking/10489449415/in/contacts/

 

[starrymarkb]

That's quite a contrast in Vehicle Standards!
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First's new branding for the new 6 route

http://www.flickr.com/photos/didbygraham/10545089265/

Looks like a Cowboy Operator rather then First?!

 

[Rich McLean]

Some people are saying they are lightly loaded, while others are saying their packed.

3A is quite busy though