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• Stagecoach 33 (St.Marychurch to Torbay Hospital): service withdrawn; please see service 32/34 for alternative travel.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.