Well, as you can see, we're back on Blogger! We agree it's much better than Tumblr, as it allows anyone to comment and follow it.
But that's not the exciting bit: oh, no!
Torbay Bus Routes has launched a brand new mobile site at m.torbaybusroutes.co.uk, which allows users to access key information from TBR when they're out and about - from their mobile phone.
You can view timetables, maps, the Ticket Guide, MyStop, and more in the palm of your hand.
So add m.torbaybusroutes.co.uk to your phone's favourites, which will allow to always grab a timetable when away from a computer!
Of course, you can always access the full site from an Internet-enabled mobile phone, but the new site has been designed for a mobile phone screen to make browsing a breeze.
We're working now to automatically redirect mobile phones from torbaybusroutes.co.uk to its mobile counterpart. However, at present, users just simply have to add "m." at the beginning.
As ever, feedback is greatly appreciated, and so you can send any to info@torbaybusroutes.co.uk, which will be received with great pleasure.
In other news, we have released a new Policies & Practices, which covers how we operate and the policies in place to ensure a maintained quality of service. You can read these here.
Over and out. Until next time.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Saturday, 17 December 2011
MyStop Adverts and Website Revamp
Many of you may have seen the MyStop adverts at Brixham Bank Lane and Torquay Harbourside. We think they're great - and by the by, MyStop has seen a definite increase in web traffic. So "ADVERTISING REALLY DOES WORK! PEOPLE ARE READING THIS!"
And in other exciting news: the Torbay Bus Routes will be receiving a revamp very shortly. The content will be updated, as well as some content removed, but more added. There'll be a new design as well, so do look out for it some time in late December or early January.
Here they are, anyway:
And in other exciting news: the Torbay Bus Routes will be receiving a revamp very shortly. The content will be updated, as well as some content removed, but more added. There'll be a new design as well, so do look out for it some time in late December or early January.
Here they are, anyway:
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| Brixham Bank Lane. Copyright 2011, Allan Wagner. |
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| Torquay Strand Harbourside. Copyright 2011, Allan Wagner. |
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
MyStop has run into a problem
As some users may be aware, MyStop is currently down, that is, not available to the general public online.
The reason for this is quite simple, and is to do with a flaw in the way our admin panel handles new databases. When a new database file is uploaded in CSV (comma separated values) format to the database manager, it is routine to select "replace table data with file data", which should overwrite existing entries and replace them with an edited version of the database.
However, it has been brought to our attention that uploading a new file to the database and supposedly overwriting it does not overwrite the whole thing. Instead, it simply edits and adds new entires - but will not delete new entries.
Therefore, some services (and certainly not all) that have had timetable changes since launch and today have still been displaying withdrawn journeys that did once operate, but no longer do.
As a solution, we will now employ the method of completely flushing the database (deleting every entry but keeping column names and layout). This will mean it will now be impossible for deleted journeys to still appear on the departure board.
Rest assured that we are taking this extremely seriously, and will avoid a repeat in the future. As was routine before, random spot checks on the departure boards each day will occur, but more often.
We'd like to apologise for the inconvenience. We aim to have MyStop available again at latest tomorrow morning.
Right now, we are manually checking and verifying almost 2500 database entries, so please bear with us.
We hope you will all continue to enjoy using the service once it's back up and running.
The Torbay Bus Routes Team
***EDIT: as of Tuesday, 29th November, 2011, 20:26, MyStop is back online***
The reason for this is quite simple, and is to do with a flaw in the way our admin panel handles new databases. When a new database file is uploaded in CSV (comma separated values) format to the database manager, it is routine to select "replace table data with file data", which should overwrite existing entries and replace them with an edited version of the database.
However, it has been brought to our attention that uploading a new file to the database and supposedly overwriting it does not overwrite the whole thing. Instead, it simply edits and adds new entires - but will not delete new entries.
Therefore, some services (and certainly not all) that have had timetable changes since launch and today have still been displaying withdrawn journeys that did once operate, but no longer do.
As a solution, we will now employ the method of completely flushing the database (deleting every entry but keeping column names and layout). This will mean it will now be impossible for deleted journeys to still appear on the departure board.
Rest assured that we are taking this extremely seriously, and will avoid a repeat in the future. As was routine before, random spot checks on the departure boards each day will occur, but more often.
We'd like to apologise for the inconvenience. We aim to have MyStop available again at latest tomorrow morning.
Right now, we are manually checking and verifying almost 2500 database entries, so please bear with us.
We hope you will all continue to enjoy using the service once it's back up and running.
The Torbay Bus Routes Team
***EDIT: as of Tuesday, 29th November, 2011, 20:26, MyStop is back online***
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Changes to the Local Link Network
On Monday, 28th November, services 60, 61, 62, 64, and 65 - all operated by Local Link - are receiving a series of timetable and route changes, which may affect you.
The 60/61: these sister services don't really have much of a timetable change, except buses are scheduled to depart 5 minutes earlier from Torquay Strand. You're also not going to see them round Parkhill Road (see the 62) or Daddyhole Road. Instead, they will terminate at Torquay Strand and serve St.Luke's Road North & South. The inbound (61) and outbound (60) routes through Torquay will also be the same in both directions: through Fleet Street and Lucius Street to Chelston
The 62, or "Cockington Village Bus": Ring&Ride is being removed from this service for the current locations, and those stops will be served on a permanent basis. There will be new Ring&Ride stops, subject to availability only: Avenue Road, Cockington Court, and Widdecombe Farm. Therefore, the new route incorporates Hebert Road, Rawlyn Road, Croft Road, Fleet Street and Parkhill Road. The terminus and starting point is to be changed to Torquay Harbourside. The service will run Monday to Friday until March, and then Monday to Saturday throughout the summer.
The 64/65: these won't be in the same timetable together anymore. They'll also be every hour, increasing from every 2 hours! The routes will be the same, and will still run Monday to Saturday. The timetables are much improved.
Potential problems identified:
The 61 allows a seemingly excessive 12 minutes from St.Luke's Road, compared the the 60 in the other direction, which allows 5 minutes. There ought to be a lot of waiting time at The Strand, which could see buses waiting there for up to 12 minutes (arriving at timetabled time of xx:40 and leaving xx:45, but with 7 minutes extra added). For a fairly minor service, that seems quite a lot of time, especially when the 12's get just 10 minutes at Brixham.
The 62 will have Widdecombe Farm as a ring and ride stop. Not only is that way off the normal, scheduled route, but the waiting time at Torquay Strand the service gets is just 2 minutes. Considering the new rule for the Ring&Ride is it being "subject to availability", will the bus ever be available to add an extra 3.5 miles onto the route (14 minutes total there and back)? The park is already served by the 67 Flyer, but only The Willows bound, as it's off of a dual carriage way.
Anyway, all in all, the changes are positive, and (only if well publicised with the timetables at stops updated) should prove further successful.
Over and out.
The 60/61: these sister services don't really have much of a timetable change, except buses are scheduled to depart 5 minutes earlier from Torquay Strand. You're also not going to see them round Parkhill Road (see the 62) or Daddyhole Road. Instead, they will terminate at Torquay Strand and serve St.Luke's Road North & South. The inbound (61) and outbound (60) routes through Torquay will also be the same in both directions: through Fleet Street and Lucius Street to Chelston
The 62, or "Cockington Village Bus": Ring&Ride is being removed from this service for the current locations, and those stops will be served on a permanent basis. There will be new Ring&Ride stops, subject to availability only: Avenue Road, Cockington Court, and Widdecombe Farm. Therefore, the new route incorporates Hebert Road, Rawlyn Road, Croft Road, Fleet Street and Parkhill Road. The terminus and starting point is to be changed to Torquay Harbourside. The service will run Monday to Friday until March, and then Monday to Saturday throughout the summer.
The 64/65: these won't be in the same timetable together anymore. They'll also be every hour, increasing from every 2 hours! The routes will be the same, and will still run Monday to Saturday. The timetables are much improved.
Potential problems identified:
The 61 allows a seemingly excessive 12 minutes from St.Luke's Road, compared the the 60 in the other direction, which allows 5 minutes. There ought to be a lot of waiting time at The Strand, which could see buses waiting there for up to 12 minutes (arriving at timetabled time of xx:40 and leaving xx:45, but with 7 minutes extra added). For a fairly minor service, that seems quite a lot of time, especially when the 12's get just 10 minutes at Brixham.
The 62 will have Widdecombe Farm as a ring and ride stop. Not only is that way off the normal, scheduled route, but the waiting time at Torquay Strand the service gets is just 2 minutes. Considering the new rule for the Ring&Ride is it being "subject to availability", will the bus ever be available to add an extra 3.5 miles onto the route (14 minutes total there and back)? The park is already served by the 67 Flyer, but only The Willows bound, as it's off of a dual carriage way.
Anyway, all in all, the changes are positive, and (only if well publicised with the timetables at stops updated) should prove further successful.
Over and out.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
MyStop is being released soon.
MyStop is to be released soon. Our new service provides mobile friendly next bus departure information for selected bus stops in Torbay, South Devon.
The following stops are covered:
Along with ten likes on Facebook.
Well, what are you waiting for? Get following!
The following stops are covered:
- Brixham Bank Lane
- Brixham Bolton Cross
- Paignton Bus Station
- Paignton Torbay Road
- South Devon College
- Torquay Strand
- Torquay Cary Parade
- Torbay Hospital
Along with ten likes on Facebook.
Well, what are you waiting for? Get following!
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
We Have Some Bad News...
Dear Torbay Bus Routes User:
I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding the 111 service recreation.
The journey will unfortunately not be going ahead due to costs and another film crew being in the South West this week, thus being too costly to send another one down in October.
I can only apologise for the disappointment and any inconvenience caused due to circumstances outside of my and TBR's control.
But don't fear: the story will still be featured in the television programme, with a photograph. More information will be provided later about this.
Once again, I'm so sorry.
Elliot Massey,
Director of Torbay Bus Routes.
I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding the 111 service recreation.
The journey will unfortunately not be going ahead due to costs and another film crew being in the South West this week, thus being too costly to send another one down in October.
I can only apologise for the disappointment and any inconvenience caused due to circumstances outside of my and TBR's control.
But don't fear: the story will still be featured in the television programme, with a photograph. More information will be provided later about this.
Once again, I'm so sorry.
Elliot Massey,
Director of Torbay Bus Routes.
Friday, 12 August 2011
If You're Affected By The 111 Cut, then the BBC Wants To Know. Really.
As a very exciting development to getting the Stagecoach 111 bus service back, the BBC (in conjunction with Presentable) is creating new television programme about cuts to services in local areas.
As part of this - as you'll have guessed - will be the 111 right here in Torbay and the South Hams.
But this is where you may come in: they need people to come forward with their stories on how this has affected them.
I know from the 438 petition signatures and some of the very heartfelt comments within that there are a lot of people who have a lot to say about this. And quite rightly so.
So if you're one of the many who has a story to tell about how the cut to the Stagecoach 111 has affected you, then please contact Presentable media!
Telephone: 02920 575729
Email: postcodelottery@presentable.co.uk
I have to say it again - thank you to all 438 who signed! Every step gets us closer to seeing the 111 back on the road again.
Over and out.
As part of this - as you'll have guessed - will be the 111 right here in Torbay and the South Hams.
But this is where you may come in: they need people to come forward with their stories on how this has affected them.
I know from the 438 petition signatures and some of the very heartfelt comments within that there are a lot of people who have a lot to say about this. And quite rightly so.
So if you're one of the many who has a story to tell about how the cut to the Stagecoach 111 has affected you, then please contact Presentable media!
Telephone: 02920 575729
Email: postcodelottery@presentable.co.uk
I have to say it again - thank you to all 438 who signed! Every step gets us closer to seeing the 111 back on the road again.
Over and out.
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