New Bus Stops Are Great - But Just How Much Money Is Being Wasted?

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past few months, you must have noticed the many new bus stops being put up around Torbay. These new stops replace all the old council-style ones, as well as select Stagecoach stops.

These new stops are without a doubt a lot more useful than the ones they're replacing. They have the bus stop code for the Text4Bus service; they look more durable; and they are vibrantly coloured with the name of the stop clearly displayed.

However, that's not to say that they're not trouble free: just how much money is being spent on these new stops that effectively replace adequate ones? The council is making the right move to replace the stops in a sense that they are replacing some previously damaged and/or inadequate ones. But they're also replacing perfectly fine stops, which is surely a waste of time. You wouldn't go round replacing street signs with new ones just because there was a new style that was being phased in, would you? No, you'd wait for them to be damaged or in need of replacement and phase them in, and not just go round replacing them all in one go. 

Passengers can also not possibly be happy with them in the first weeks of them having been installed. They are left without timetables due to them coming with timetable cases, which are then left empty for several weeks until the bus companies decide to replace them. This must also come at a cost to the bus operators. It is also not an ideal situation to find that you suddenly have no timetable(s) at your stop.

This is yet another example of how the council try and do everything at once, much like that disaster of the bin systems. The trouble is, the council are acting as if Torbay's transport system is governed by some kind of public transport executive. Well, it isn't. The council, bus operators and bus stop installers do not work together. For these stops to truly work well, the council would have to provide the timetables themselves (and not let the companies be responsible for them) as well as the stops, and not just have everything built up from two different parties.

As an example of the lack of information at these stops after the first few weeks of installation, take a look at some of these pictures:

This has been installed today. Notice the lack of any information in the case below.

This stop here on Lands Road, Brixham, is now fully operational, but it took a long time

This is the case on Lands Road, which shows the information present after full install

Is this soon to go? On the opposite side to the stop above on Lands Road.

STOP EVERYTHING: Stagecoach 26/27 Granted Under Short Notice

This is a very quick post to say: please ignore all previous instructions to take service 67 to/from Torquay Grammar Schools and Marldon Road/Penwill Way.

Stagecoach 26 appears to be being extended along Marldon Road, and Stagecoach 27 is being extended to Penwill Way.

Both of these changes are due to come into affect from Mon, 11th Apr, 2011, on which date Stagecoach 28 is due to be withdrawn.

If anything else does change in the meantime, amendments will be made to this blogpost.

Time's Running Out For Your Favourite Journeys - Plus A New Taxibus Service

Firstly, apologies for the lateness of this post - 4 days late!

As you're all probably now aware, a spate of cuts is happening in Torbay between Friday, 1st, and Monday, 11th April, 2011. These range from service improvements and new services, to service withdrawals and reductions.

The majority of people (by majority, I refer to people who use services like the 12, 12A and 12C) won't really be affected for the most part. But every now and again, people do like to go on a nice trip somewhere on the bus, like over to Dartmouth from Torquay, but these journeys will become a lot harder to make when the cuts hit.

So really, the title says it all - time really is running out.

I know I want to take the last 25 service journey operated by Rail River Link all the way from Young's Park into Stoke Gabriel. Yes, the service is still going to exist, but something just doesn't seem right about it being handed over to another operator. I don't know what it is; Rail River Link just seem the perfect operator for a service like the 25.

I also know I want to take one of the last ever trips on the Stagecoach 111 all the way from Torquay to Dartmouth. What better way to see all the sights on the way from Torbay Hospital and Stagecoach's Depot to the pretty town of Totnes and the lovely village of Harbertonford. What about the people who will come down on holiday this year, only to find that a bus they've always taken to Woodlands now runs from Paignton?

What's more, I always enjoyed a nice trip around Torquay on the 31/34, each working in tandem with each other - one going one way; the other going round the other. Yes, the timetable was a confusing mess. Yes, the services appeared to come at random times. And yes, the vehicles ranged from Mercedes Sprinters right up Dennis Darts. But there was something about the way they worked together like two good friends, with the drivers always exchanging a friendly smile and wave. So with the 31 doing the rounds of Barton and Hele, and the 34 now going off to The Willows via Watcombe and St.Marychurch, one can imagine that it just won't be the same. Gone will be the days of the classic phrase: "Yeah, you need to get the 31 or 34!" Not only that, but gone will also be the days when you could place bets on which one would come first!

But amidst all these changes and cuts that will upset many, there are some new services on the block!

Right, let's start with Local Link:

• New 60C/61C service operating from Friday, 1st April. Essentially, it's the 67C mixed with the 60, but running between The Willows, Queensway, Chelston, Livermead, Preston Down, Dolphin Court, Oldway, Paignton & South Devon College. The timetable appears to have an error in it, though. Can you spot it? (No prize for the winner: it's too easy!) View it here.

And now to Devonian Motor Services:

• New 50 service operating from Monday, 11th April. Operating from Paignton to Cockington Village. This should be a lovely bus ride on a vintage vehicle. There don't appear to be any timetables or exact route details yet, but it ought to be very busy this summer.

And finally this week, there's a new taxibus service form St.Luke's Road North to Torquay Centre. Residents and hoteliers alike are hoping that the new service, which replaces a bus service that has been non-existent for many years, will be just like the old one, but on a smaller scale. It will serve all the original stops along the road, as well as accept concessionary passes. It will operate 3 days a week. Torbay Council has agreed to trial the service, and have put it out for tender. Let's see where this one goes...

That's it until next time. Over and out.

More Changes - Plus a Sticky Situation for Local Link's 67 School Term Journeys

Well, there were some changes that weren't detailed last week, so I did promise to include them in this week's post. These are actually some quite good revisions to services in Torbay, as well as some *rumours* surrounding Stagecoach's 88 & 111 (do read on!)

Well, let's get the service timetable and route changes over and done with first of all. These are all from Monday, 11th April, 2011:

• Stagecoach 5/5E (Paignton to Foxhole): timetable change
• Stagecoach 11 (Torquay to Teignmouth): summer timetable comes into effect
• Rail River Link 25 (Paignton to Stoke Gabriel): becomes Dial A Bus (Local Link) 25
• Stagecoach 28/29: please refer to last week's post
• Stagecoach 31 (Torquay circular): revised route from Torquay to Barton via Hele, as well as a timetable change
• Stagecoach 33 (St.Marychurch to Torbay Hospital): service withdrawn; please see service 32/34 for alternative travel.
• Stagecoach 34 (Torquay circular): revised route from Torquay to The Willows via Watcombe, as well as a timetable change
• Stagecoach X64 (Exeter to Salcombe): service will only serve beyond Totnes on Sunday & Bank Holidays. At all other times, the service will terminate at/commence from Totnes from/to Exeter. See Tally Ho!'s 164 service for alternative travel.
• Stagecoach 66 (Brixham to Newton Abbot): timetable change
• Stagecoach 111 (Torquay to Dartmouth): revised route from Paignton to Dartmouth via Marldon, Berry Pomeroy and Totnes, not serving Torquay. See Country Bus's 149 for alternative travel.

So... what about the rumours surrounding Stagecoach's 88 & 111? Well, as @blytheski puts it on Twitter:

"@torbaybuses stagecoach have hit back at first. The 111 will be hourly. With the 88 stagecoach run[ning] every 30mins Paignton to Totnes."

However, in a later tweet, he confirmed:

"@torbaybuses Traveline South West, 111 will be hourly, 88 hourly, that means Stagecoach run two per hour to Totnes from Paignton" 

Well, this will be great news if it transpires. First Bus Devon & Cornwall is due to extend its X81 service  to Dartmouth via Woodlands from Torquay, Paignton & Totnes, on 11th April, on which date Stagecoach's 111 is due to be cut to just 6 journeys either way between Paignton & Dartmouth. However, in a supposed move by Stagecoach, the 111 will be increased to an hourly service, with the 88 (Paignton, Totnes, Newton Abbot) running every hour as well - so that's a half hourly service from Paignton to Totnes and hourly to Dartmouth. Does this come as a final get-back at First following Stagecoach's withdrawal of their X45 service back in July 2008? Well, some may say it's a bit late for that, but then again, when have Stagecoach had the chance since then?

And finally - "What is Local Link's sticky situation?" I hear you ask. Well, due to the withdrawal of Stagecoach's 28 service between Penwill Way, Paignton, Marldon Road & Torquay Grammar Schools, Local Link's 67 service may well find itself with the difficulty of buses on its school term journeys (07:45 from Brixham & 16:00 back to Brixham, which is the 15:40 from The Willows) running full either way. This is clearly a big problem, as the largest vehicle that operates that route is a low floor Dennis Dart, which does not have enough capacity by any stretch of the imagination to carry the 28's usual passengers, the usual 67's passengers plus all the people who will have boarded at either The Willows or Torbay Hospital before the service pulls into the school. A recent telephone conversation with Local Link (or Dial A Bus, whichever you like) revealed that they had no prior knowledge of the withdrawal of the 28, but said that they would assess the situation as it occurred. If any problems with capacity do occur (which I'd bet any amount they will), then they said that they'd have to look at the possibility of requesting an extra vehicle from Torbay Council. Surely these things should be assessed before the situation gets out of hand, though?

Anyway, over and out. Until next week.

The Cuts Are Coming - But It's Not All Bad News

Well, with the cuts due to come this April between 8th and 11th, there are going to be some changes that'll affect a lot of people. There are some drastic changes, and then again, there are actually some fantastic changes. That's not to say it's all in the balance: the future of any subsidised route isn't certain, especially not at this time.

Well, let's get on with telling you what these changes are going to be...

These are all from VOSA, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency. They deal with all the requested changes and either allow them or say no to them. In some cases, it can be that what's said on the VOSA applications doesn't actually happen when it comes to the date. I guess that the operators can apply for things to be changed, but they actually do it just incase. Nevertheless, I don't think there could be a more certain time than now for a VOSA application to be telling the truth.

• First's X80/X81 will both have an amended timetable and route. The new route is brilliant: the X81 will operate its usual route to Totnes, and then will continue on to Dartmouth via Woodlands from 11th April. "But there's the 111!" I hear you cry. Well, that may be true for now, but...
• Stagecoach's 111 is due to have a timetable change from the 11th April, reducing the service to just six trips either way. Yes - six! Well, that's not all - oh no! The service is going to operate from Paignton, not Torquay, via Marldon, Berry Pomeroy and Totnes to Dartmouth. So what about that useful link between Marldon, Torbay Hospital and Torquay, then?
• Yes, good question. And that's one that Country Bus can answer: they're going to be running a new 149 service from the same date between Totnes, Berry Pomeroy, Marldon, Torbay Hospital and Torquay. This effectively replaces the section of the 111 route that's being withdrawn. However, there are only going to be six trips either way.
• Stagecoach's school services 28 (Penwill Way to Torquay Grammar Schools) and the 29 (King's Ash to Cuthbert Mayne) are both to be withdrawn from 11th April, 2011. There's currently no alternative for the 29 passengers, except to travel into Paignton Bus Station, and then catch a 30A/30B. For the 28's passengers, they can get the 67 Flyer service, which runs the same route from the BOTTOM of Penwill Way on Dartmouth Road about 6 or 7 minutes after the 28 is currently scheduled. However, with standing room only very often in the afternoon at the school, it's likely that Local Link will have to provide an extra bus for the 67 service on the way back, and perhaps on the way there in the morning
• Local Link are also due to run the 25 service between Paignton & Stoke Gabriel from 11th April, 2011. Rail River Link would like to thank all their customers over the years for their loyalty to the 25 service, which runs every 90 minutes Monday to Saturday on a very scenic route into Stoke Gabriel.
• Country Bus's 74 service between Trago Mills and The Willows is due to be withdrawn from the 9th April, 2011. It will be replaced a 174 service, running between Newton Abbot and The Willows only. For Newton Abbot to Trago Mills, there'll be the 76 from the same date. 

Well, that's about it for Torbay, but there's more shocking news from around Devon:

The Sunday Rover Network is not running this year. This means that the familiar and friendly 270, 274 and 279 won't be running this summer. But surely the 82 must be running, right? Nope. The 82 is not running this year. That's right: the absolutely brilliant Transmoor Link 82 between Exeter, Moretonhampstead, Widecombe, Yelverton and Plymouth, is withdrawn this year. Will it be running next year? Let's hope...

Over and out.