West Country Independents

[TheGrandWazoo]

Couple of things in VOSA
Apl travel have cancelled 40/42/43 in Calne
South West coaches have cancelled 33
Webberbus have extended 67 to Bildgwater

Sadly, I suspect the APL ones won't be the last ones you see - a consequence of the Wiltshire bus cuts
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Yes, the route between the motorway and central Exeter is fairly congested all day whereas Falcon does little more than circle the nearest roundabout for most of it's stops.

Carl's spot on (as per )

Megabus serves Exeter bus station and getting into the city centre is a bit of a battle along congested arterial routes. Falcon has the "delay" of serving the A38 and Bristol Airport. However, the other stops are not much more than a minute off the M5 (Bridgwater, Clumpton) and even the Exeter stops are close by with some back road running between the two P&Rs. Probably explains the similar running times.

Anyone seen how the Falcon is performing in the last few weeks, passenger wise?

Saw the Belles Express heading back north last night (with the Gold decker again) and it had 3/4 passengers on board. Has the extension into Bristol and the leisure market had any impact on the daytime runs?

 

[carlberry]

From the Crosville website (with thanks to Dave Godley for the notification):

- See more at: http://www.crosvillemotorservices.c...bristol-commuter-service#sthash.MJPg0nHy.dpuf

Crosville Motor Services Ltd are pleased to announce that we will be taking over the operation of the North Fringe Bristol Commuter Coach service.

The award of such contract takes place from the 24th April 2016. The North Fringe Commuter Coach operates from Weston to North Bristol via Clevedon. This is an express passenger service and will see two new coaches being added to the expanding network of Crosville.

Crosville’s Managing Director Jonathan Jones-Pratt said “This is very exciting to see Crosville venturing into Bristol and it is also a great opportunity for further business growth as well as expanding our geographical area of operation. The service is currently being operated by Kings Ferry from which we have been in various discussions for a smooth transitional hand over of such project, in line with the agreed parties we will see this operation changing to the Crosville operation on the 25th April 2016.

The timetable for this is now on the Crosville site (however only linked from the Kings Ferry one at present). Free travel 25th April to 5th May (as stated on the Kings Ferry site). Assuming the timetable is correct it requires five coaches however one only runs Weston-Portishead!

http://www.crosvillemotorservices.c...timetables/commuter-coach-timetable-c1-c5.pdf

http://www.thekingsferry.co.uk/north-bristol/routes-and-times/weston-am

 

[Marc]

Sadly, I suspect the APL ones won't be the last ones you see - a consequence of the Wiltshire bus cuts

are all of these routes being cut without replacement?

The timetable for this is now on the Crosville site (however only linked from the Kings Ferry one at present). Free travel 25th April to 5th May (as stated on the Kings Ferry site). Assuming the timetable is correct it requires five coaches however one only runs Weston-Portishead!

this is very differant to the timetable on travelline!

north summerset seem obsessed with running services free when they start. i dont think it genarates any passenger loyelty!

 

[carlberry]

this is very differant to the timetable on travelline!

north summerset seem obsessed with running services free when they start. i dont think it genarates any passenger loyelty!

The Crosville one on Traveline is a direct copy of the King's Ferry one, even down to only being valid until 24th April!

 

[DaveHarries]

Anyone seen how the Falcon is performing in the last few weeks, passenger wise?

Saw the Belles Express heading back north last night (with the Gold decker again) and it had 3/4 passengers on board. Has the extension into Bristol and the leisure market had any impact on the daytime runs?

As for the Falcon, I saw one yesterday morning at Cabot Circus, Bristol which was unloading what I counted to be about a dozen passengers although there may have been more who had already gone over the road to the shops.

As for Belles Express I don't know but I saw a fairly well-loaded Enviro200 on Service 88 from Dursley earlier.

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As for the Falcon, I saw one yesterday morning at Cabot Circus, Bristol which was unloading what I counted to be about a dozen passengers although there may have been more who had already gone over the road to the shops.

As for Belles Express I don't know but I saw a fairly well-loaded Enviro200 on Service 88 from Dursley earlier.

Dave

The peak am 88 on Wednesday had 3 passengers (lower because of school hols?). Usually only has 6 or so anyway
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are all of these routes being cut without replacement?

The 40/42/43 are proposed to go from hourly to 2-3 runs per day as per many other routes so cancellations and amendments aplenty

 

[freetoview33]

The 901 had 3 people on today! A new record I think

 

[swifty]

Anyone know how long the 403 has been operating two round journeys a day from Parkway via Emersons Green, Aspects & Saltford? I'd not seen anything to advertise this until I noticed a Levante heading into Aspects the other night!

 

[freetoview33]

A while

 

[DaveHarries]

On my way back from the Didcot Railway Centre today I stopped at Membury. Whilst walking through to the temporary WCs I noticed Arriva London B7TL / Wright DW62 (LJ04 LDC) in the rear car park being attended to by a Wessex van.

Dave

 

[THarris123]

Crosville have registered a new service - Weston to Cribbs.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

On my way back from the Didcot Railway Centre today I stopped at Membury. Whilst walking through to the temporary WCs I noticed Arriva London B7TL / Wright DW62 (LJ04 LDC) in the rear car park being attended to by a Wessex van.

Dave

Odd that though they did have a couple of vehicles (at least) working various P&R services to support the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday

 

[ryson357]

PH1035360/64 - WEBBERBUS LTD, UNIT 8C, BEECH BUSINESS PARK, BRISTOL ROAD, BRIDGWATER, TA6 4FF
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Taunton Parade
Finish Point: Taunton Parade
Via:
Service Number: T7
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 31-MAY-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday

Webberbus are at it again! Bloody company!

 

[THarris123]

PH1035360/64 - WEBBERBUS LTD, UNIT 8C, BEECH BUSINESS PARK, BRISTOL ROAD, BRIDGWATER, TA6 4FF
Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Taunton Parade
Finish Point: Taunton Parade
Via:
Service Number: T7
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 31-MAY-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday

Webberbus are at it again! Bloody company!

Looks like they're changing all of their services again. I suspect changes to 37/38/26 will be so that they put the services 2 mins in front of Firsts again.

Oh I so hope they start reducing their services soon. Surely this can't carry on much longer?

 

[Martin1988]

Just realised someone had already reported the new Weston to Cribbs service. Here is the VOSA registration for it.

PH1107086/19 - CROSVILLE MOTOR SERVICES LTD, UNIT 2, WESTLAND DISTRIBUTION PARK, WESTON-SUPER-MARE, BS24 9AB

Registration Accepted
Starting Point: Weston Super Mare Marine Parade
Finish Point: Cribbs Causeway Bus Station
Via: Clevedon, Old Street
Service Number: 101
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 22-MAY-2016
Other Details: Monday to Friday excluding Public Holidays

I can't help but wondering, is this service likely to be a way of making use of the new coaches during the daytime when they're not deployed on the commuter services?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Apologies for the double posting

I've just been over to Crossville's website and the timetable for the new Weston to Cribbs service is incorporated into the timetable for the commuter service.

Looking at it, it would appear as though maybe it will be worked by the same vehicles as used on the commuter service.

 

[DaveHarries]

Oh I so hope they start reducing their services soon. Surely this can't carry on much longer?

Would you rather they put all their drivers out of a job or something? :roll:

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Would you rather they put all their drivers out of a job or something? :roll:

Dave

If they didn't keep registering more services then they'd not have as many drivers? And what of the risk to BoS drivers who have infinitely longer service and better pensions? Cuts both ways

 

[THarris123]

Would you rather they put all their drivers out of a job or something? :roll:

Dave

Yes, i'd rather they go and lose their something, as they'd then probably go to First and receive a better wage, etc.

Surely they haven't got enough drivers to do more work? That's the reason why I think they might reduce some of their work.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Surely they haven't got enough drivers to do more work? That's the reason why I think they might reduce some of their work.

How do you work that out? They don't appear to be struggling for drivers (probably because they don't have to work early evenings nor Sundays) and they keep adding extra services.

This looks like a clear aim of trying to compete over each and every relatively lucrative service of BoS in the hope that First will walk away in time. Whether they can sustain that financially, who knows, and the latest set of results saw a worsening of the finances.

 

[matt_splat]

How do you work that out? They don't appear to be struggling for drivers (probably because they don't have to work early evenings nor Sundays) and they keep adding extra services.

This looks like a clear aim of trying to compete over each and every relatively lucrative service of BoS in the hope that First will walk away in time. Whether they can sustain that financially, who knows, and the latest set of results saw a worsening of the finances.

which may be the reason we have seen changes from first as well up the competition and try and hit webberbus hard first will also now have the advantage of running routes from the webberbus end which i think will make things better i look forward to seeing the first changes explained we can't have long left now

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Noticed DAF/Van Hool Alizee L444 SGB at Bristol Temple Meads yesterday evening on the 462 to Emersons Green. I looked up the service and I see it's a peak service, is this a regular vehicle on this route? I never managed to go on L444 SGB, kept missing it on Nat Ex services, so I'd like to do it probably on an Avon DayRider.

I saw it* at Temple Meads at around 1710, then saw it at 1745..but according to the timetable, assuming the first time I saw it was the 1715, then it doesn't get back in time for the 1745*

* - The first one was an Alizee, though I didn't see the reg. I don't know the fleet that well, so I assume otherwise they have a couple of them?

 

[Martin1988]

The 462 service utilises vehicles that are deployed on the company's other duties(mainly schools work) and regularly uses coaches although the exact vehicles use vary each day ranging from older plaxton premieres and van-hools to National Express branded levantes. It also sometimes gets yellow double decker buses.

I actually rode L444SGB on this route last night. It was used on the 1615 journey from Clifton Triangle to Emersons Green and then presumably returned to Temple Meads empty in time for the 1745 journey.

From what I understand, Avon Rider tickets aren't valid on this service.

 

[DaveHarries]

If they didn't keep registering more services then they'd not have as many drivers? And what of the risk to BoS drivers who have infinitely longer service and better pensions? Cuts both ways

Ah well we will soon see I guess. Meanwhile I was glad to pass a well-loaded Service 38 bound for Wells on the A358 just east of Taunton this afternoon. I hope WB will not give up on the 38.

Dave

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Ah well we will soon see I guess. Meanwhile I was glad to pass a well-loaded Service 38 bound for Wells on the A358 just east of Taunton this afternoon. I hope WB will not give up on the 38.

Dave

What's with the pro Webberbus/anti BoS sentiment?

It looks from the explosion of registrations over recent weeks and months (over the Taunton routes and now over the last part of the 54 that wasn't affected) that WB are trying to almost force First to pull the plug on BoS.

Trying to be balanced, WB are obviously bringing some benefits in terms of modern vehicles and some lower fares. The downside is that they don't provide Sunday or early evening services. Also, they were thrown off the Taunton P&R and had their North Somerset contracts cancelled - both for very poor performance.

BoS instead operate with a much older fleet; I assume that's to reduce their cost base through lower depreciation. If, repeat if, that is the case, then I wonder what the BoS fleet would look like without this competition.

 

[baza585]

What's with the pro Webberbus/anti BoS sentiment?

It looks from the explosion of registrations over recent weeks and months (over the Taunton routes and now over the last part of the 54 that wasn't affected) that WB are trying to almost force First to pull the plug on BoS.

Trying to be balanced, WB are obviously bringing some benefits in terms of modern vehicles and some lower fares. The downside is that they don't provide Sunday or early evening services. Also, they were thrown off the Taunton P&R and had their North Somerset contracts cancelled - both for very poor performance.

BoS instead operate with a much older fleet; I assume that's to reduce their cost base through lower depreciation. If, repeat if, that is the case, then I wonder what the BoS fleet would look like without this competition.

Agree muchly. WB have not brought much by way of innovation, but simply run just in front of First/BoS during the day only. No pretence of any Sunday/evening services. As you say, they lost contracts in Taunton and Weston for poor performance and they are not reliable in terms of turning up on time or at all during the day in my experience.

Their vehicles may be new, but the standard of cleanliness inside and out is problematic, whilst some of the drivers English leaves much to be desired.

I am surprised BoS has not attacked them directly before (doing to WB what WB has been doing to them), and for anyone to be a supporter of WB just beggars belief.

I for one hope they are gone before too much longer; their parasitical presence has brought nothing to the Somerset bus scene but instability, which has precluded others from making much needed investment.
.

 

[DaveHarries]

I think one thing that WB have over BoS is that WB still have return fares which, at least in Bristol, FirstGroup decided to drop in favour of single fares only. Saying that, the rover cards are good value on First.

Dave

 

[carlberry]

I think one thing that WB have over BoS is that WB still have return fares which, at least in Bristol, FirstGroup decided to drop in favour of single fares only. Saying that, the rover cards are good value on First.

Dave

Have BoS stopped offering return fares? Their website says they still do.

 

[Marc]

I think one thing that WB have over BoS is that WB still have return fares which, at least in Bristol, FirstGroup decided to drop in favour of single fares only. Saying that, the rover cards are good value on First.

id rather have single fares and day tickets than the ludicrus array of tickets with meaningless names that webber bus do.

 

[freetoview33]

There was a good reason return fares went in Bristol. And I am thankful they did. For me a single was £2.30 and a return £3. That changed to £1.50 for a single I saved so much money as I normally only went one way. And if I went both ways I was no worse off.

 

[THarris123]

I think onreturn that WB have over BoS is that WB still have return fares which, at least in Bristol, FirstGroup decided to drop in favour of single fares only. Saying that, the rover cards are good value on First.

Dave

Ah yes, I forget how the Webberbus fare system is so great. Do they still do it where you buy a single from Wells to Wedmore and then pay a £1 return back. Great system.

I don't know how you can compare Firsts fare system to Webberbus - it's not the same league. First actually have a structure on there fares. I know what price I will pay for any single in WoE. Do you know what you would pay on Webberbus? I don't. Instead of calling a day or month ticket a day or month ticket, Webbers call it after names of birds. Yes great system that.

I am a bit annoyed First scrapped out returns altogether and would have liked to have seen returns for the country routes. I think BoS still do returns as well.