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:

Brixham Bank Lane. Copyright 2011, Allan Wagner.

Torquay Strand Harbourside. Copyright 2011, Allan Wagner.

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some services (and certainly not all) that have had timetable changes since launch and today have still been displaying withdrawn journeys that did once operate, but no longer do.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***

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.

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:

• Brixham Bank Lane
• Brixham Bolton Cross
• Paignton Bus Station
• Paignton Torbay Road
• South Devon College
• Torquay Strand
• Torquay Cary Parade
• Torbay Hospital

The service will be released when we reach 30 followers on Twitter: twitter.com/MyStopHelp.


Along with ten likes on Facebook. 


Well, what are you waiting for? Get following! 

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.

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.

Normal Twitter Service To Resume Shortly

From Elliot, Director, Torbay Bus Routes:

For those of you who are unaware, I am currently at Bristol Royal Hospital after a collapse just over a week ago at Torquay Strand whilst on Stagecoach work experience.

Thank Lord, there was a paramedic and a nurse on a bike in the immediate vicinity.

After being rushed to Torbay Hospital intensive care, where I spent 4 days, I was then on the ward for a further 3 days.

I have now been at Bristol after being transferred on a very pleasant ambulance ride since last Wednesday (20th July).

The staff, nurses and doctors along the way have all been amazing.

So a normal Twitter service should reserve by the end of this week, if not by Thursday or Friday.

Over and out.

Slight Reduction In TBR's Twitter Service & TBR - Live From London!

Dear Torbay Bus Routes Live Bus Update User,

Between Tuesday, 5th July and Sunday, 10th July, 2011, there will be a slight reduction in Torbay Bus Route's Twitter service, which provides live bus updates throughout the day, every day, frequently.

This is due to one out of two TBR Tweeters (Elliot) being away on holiday, meaning that he's unable to tweet for Torbay/South Devon.

However, Allan will still be here for this period, with updates for the Paignton and King's Ash area.

In addition, there will be a daily "TBR - Live From London" will be available daily for this period. We hope these will add some diversity and interest for bus enthusiasts, as London's bus network is simply huge and very interesting.

We can't wait to be live from London. However, please note that we won't be providing any live updates from London. We're just going to go with the flow!

We look forward to resuming a full service once again from Sunday this week.

Thank you for your continued support.

Many thanks,
Torbay Bus Routes.

Tweenaway Roadworks And Impacts On Buses

With the road works to improve Tweenaway and Claylands Cross in Paignton, there is a severe impact on all bus services travelling along King's Ash Road or in the Tweenaway area.

Below is a list of each bus service affected, the section of road where it becomes delayed, and which areas along the route are likely to be affected.

• Stagecoach 5
• The Paignton circular is affected between Ramshill Road and Fernicombe Road when traffic backs right up along King's Ash. This can cause delays in extreme circumstances of up to 30 minutes. However, delays are most likely to be between 5 and 10 minutes.
• Stagecoach 12A
• This service becomes delayed along Totnes Road and Brixham Road past Paignton Zoo and Bookers Cash & Carry. Delays are more severe towards Paignton and Torquay from South Devon College, as it travels down Brixham Road to Tweenaway Cross. Delays are less severe in the other direction because it operates via Borough Road. This has an impact on people travelling to/from college, so extra time should be allowed.
• Stagecoach 12C
• Although not directly affected, as services throughout the day commence from what was a 12A (continuing as a 12C from the College), it becomes delayed as a result of this. This has an impact on people travelling to/from college, so extra time should be allowed. 
• Stagecoach 66
• This service gets caught in the traffic towards South Devon College from Newton Abbot as soon as it leaves Foxhole. It then crawls all the way to Great Parks, where it cuts up round the back. When it rejoins the main road, it then proceeds slowly past the Zoo until reaching the cross and turning left up Brixham Road. This is the same situation on the return journey. Delays to the 66 are around 10 minutes on average.
• First X80 and X81
• Both of these services crawl along from Collaton St.Mary to Paignton Zoo. Delays of up to 45 minutes have been reported towards Plymouth. It is probably best to decide on a service and then take the journey before that one.
• Stagecoach 88
• This service experiences delays from Paignton from as far back as Colley End. Journey times have exceeded 20 minutes from Colley End to the traffic lights - the average journey time being 3 minutes. Towards Paignton, delays have sometimes been up to 25 minutes from Newton Abbot. This has the knock on effect of services not connecting in Buckfastleigh for Plymouth and Exeter on the Stagecoach X38. There is no way round this, as the X38 is only every 2 hours. Advice would be to use Stagecoach X64 from Totnes to Exeter or First X80 from Totnes to Plymouth.
• Rail River Link 100
• Even with already very tight timetabling, delays to this service aren't as much as you may think. They've been around 10 minutes late most of the time, but some have been up to 30 minutes late. However, due to the route that cuts through Penwill Way towards Paignton, it is likely to be the quickest journey for Totnes to Paignton.
• Local Link 108 and 109
• These two circular services have experienced delays of around 10 to 15 minutes. Some have been observed departing Paignton almost 30 minutes late. They usually get caught between Kings Ash between Luscombe Drive and Waterleat. Some journeys also hit traffic at Cotehele Drive and Spruce Way. However, that is only likely when the traffic is very bad. If you plan on getting a 108, then it may be a good idea to take the 109 timetabled 30 minutes before and vice versa.

As traffic seeks alternative routes, all services out of Paignton are liable to some delays due to traffic through Cecil Road, Victoria Park, Torquay Road, Hyde Road and Great Western Road.

One Crazy Day On The Buses

So yesterday, a friend and I were planning on going to Plymouth from Totnes at around 13:30. "No problem", we thought, as there's a First Bus X80 at 13:45. Obviously, because of Tweenaway, it was going to be late, but not too late, we imagined.

Anyway, my friend had the bright idea of getting the train to Plymouth. So off we set from Coronation Road to the railway station. I texted National Rail on the way, only to discover that the next train wasn't for 50 minutes. End of that idea.

So we ran to the next bus stop up the road, where I said we'd get the 88 or X80, whichever came first. If the 88 came first, we'd go to Exeter (after just missing a 13:50 X64 to Exeter anyway). Or if the X80 came First, then Plymouth it was.

The 88 came first, and so we jumped on that, about 20 minutes late. We pulled out and were halfway across the road, when all of a sudden, a man came running up and banged on the doors. He said he'd given up after waiting for so long, and he got on. Journey wasn't off to the best of starts!

So I looked up the time of the X38 from Buckfastleigh to Exeter, which was 15:30. Oh. That was an hour and half to wait. So we had to scrap that idea and decided to take it all the way to Newton Abbot.

So we were sat there comfortably and in peace coming up to Dartington. Then a boulder decides to come down from the bank and smash into the side of the bus. We swerved and shook quite a bit. No one knew what it was at first, until the driver pulled in at Dartington to go and have a look. I wish I had had a chance to take a photo: half a side panel had been ripped up, leaving a very jagged point sticking out.

Anyway, off we went to Newton Abbot, where I thought we'd be able to get a 39 just in time. Nope. As soon as we pulled out of Ashburton Road, there was none other than the 39 itself, made worse by the fact that it was a brand new leather-seated Enviro 400! Of all the vehicle choices for a bus to miss!

So we had no other choice than to get the 2. There was one in, and it left promptly at 14:55. I checked the timetable to find that it arrived in Exeter at 16:37. Great. Scrap that idea.

We hadn't had lunch, so we jumped off at Tesco in Kingsteignton, grabbed a sandwich, and began to walk back to the train station, where we were going to catch a train on an 18 minute journey into Exeter.

"Okay," we thought, "we're on the way now." But of course, something else just had to happen, didn't it?

As we departed Teignmouth, an announcement came over: "I'm sorry to announce that due to a line equipment failure, we are having to proceed with extreme caution." So what was an 18 minute train journey landed us in Exeter at 5 miles per hour only 10 minutes before the 2 service would have done - without having to buy two train tickets! So 3 hours from Totnes to Exeter. Oh dear...

After getting the H into the centre (nothing happened on this journey!), we wanted to go down to St.Thomas. So we waiting for an A by South Street. When one came, what should it do other than crash into the shelter with its wing mirror, shattering a huge glass panel! Oh, the wing mirror fell off, too. So we waited for either an E or an F. That was without incident - finally!

So we got on the X46 back to Torquay on the 18:50 (last bus back), and then caught the 12 from Castle Circus, which was 13 minutes late.

Oops!

As the 12 pulled round past the Pavilions and pulled into the shelter, it whacked straight into a tree. Okay, so a bus was now stuck in a tree. We managed to pull away fine, but the last time a bus did that, it was quite a struggle!

So in short, that was honestly the most ridiculous set of buses I have ever taken! And yes, I would do it all again. There's something strangely exciting about bus journeys going ridiculously wrong.

Some Exciting News, A New TBR Tweeter, And Plans...

Well, it's certainly been a while since the last blog post, but never fear - we are still here.

It's just been so hectic lately, what with the 111 petition and organising TBR Tweeter applications.

First of all, I shall enlighten you with the exciting news surrounding the 111 petition. Not to be disheartened by to nos from Devon County Council and Stagecoach, after writing to Dr.Sarah Wollaston about the issue in a very detailed letter, we were pleased to learn that she was in support of the issues raised. In fact, a debate was managed to be secured for Tuesday, 28th June, at 13:30 - at Westminster! Westminster! Sorry, I'll have to say it again: Westminster!

The 111 at Dartmouth Pontoon. Goodness, this picture sure has done the rounds...

Yes, that's right: the issue and serious effects of the 111's withdrawal will be raised among other issues with rural bus services in Devon on Tuesday at Westminster with the Transport Minister. This is just great news, and hopes are high that something will come of it.

Right, enough of that. There's a new TBR Tweeter with us, Mr Allan Wagner, who will be tweeting alongside me for the Paignton, King's Ash and Foxhole areas. You'll notice at the end of each tweet, there's now either an [A] or [E]. This stands for Allan and Elliot respectively. That's if we remember to put them on...

TBR'S Twitter service, @torbaybuses on Twitter

So a big welcome to Allan!

And lastly, there are some plans for the future of Torbay Bus Routes. We don't like to stand still, but we fear that nothing much has moved forward with the site for a while. So there are some things to watch out for in the near future:

• Timetables for Dartmouth and Totnes bus services included in the timetables available for download
• A consistent style of timetable produced by Torbay Bus Routes, which will enable faster download times and the same information across the board
• Continuing to provide personalised journey plans via email within 24 hours
• A link in future editions of the Torbay Transport Guide to the website, thus furthering traffic to the site
• An advert in the Torbay Vintage Bus Running Day programme this September

Well, they're the plans! But sometimes, the best plans come from the people who experience the services first hand, rather than deliver them.

So we want you to tell us what we can do to make Torbay Bus Routes better. Or what we could stop doing. Well, anything you'd like to say. Email: info@torbaybusroutes.co.uk.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

That's it. Over and out.

Could You Be A TBR Tweeter?

Become A Volunteer As A TBR Tweeter for Torbay Bus Routes!

Torbay Bus Routes is offering an excellent opportunity to get on board with our Twitter service, which provides live bus updates throughout the day, 7 days a week.

Your tweeting hours would be Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00. You wouldn't have to be riding around on buses in the Bay like there's no tomorrow. You'd just tweet whilst on your daily travels and errands. It's a great opportunity to become part of a high quality service.

If you're passionate about travel and buses within Torbay, and you feel that you'd be good at this, then just download the information pack below, which details what to do next.

The deadline for expressions of interest in this is: Tuesday, 14th June, 2011.

Two vital things:

• You'd need to usually be in Torbay Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:00
• You need to have a smart phone (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, etc) and be capable of using a Twitter app.

If you think this sounds good, then DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION PACK.

Petition Closed - Final Count Is In

The petition to restore Stagecoach South West 111 service to its original route instead of total withdrawal closed on Saturday, 21st May, 2011, at 23:30. With your help, the grand total of signatures collected is...

Speechless! 438!

What now?

Well, as far as we're aware, we're waiting for the Herald Express to contact us to arrange a date for a photo of the handover to Stagecoach South West. With regards to Devon County Council, a copy of the petition will be sent for their review immediately following the handover to Stagecoach. And after that, we guess that all we can do is wait for their answer.

One Absolutely Huge Thank You!

All I can say is this:

Thank you, so, so, so, so much to absolutely everyone who's joined in with the efforts to help restore the 111.

Special thanks are due to the following people:

• To my Shop Leader at Save the Children, who allowed a paper petition to be placed on the counter
• To Totnes Tourist Information Centre, who also allowed a paper petition to be displayed for 1 week
• To Dartmouth Tourist Information Centre, who have allowed the same
• To Alex Ali from the Herald Express, who got an article regarding the petition on page 10 of the Herald Express
• To the shops and businesses all over Dartmouth, Totnes and the 111 route
• To Torbay Hospital for displaying posters in the main entrance
• To Nathan Thorn, who posted the link to the petition on his site, UK-BUSES
• To David Banks, who posted a link to the petition on his blog, "Bus Driving".
• To Dartmouth River Boats, who allowed the posters to be displayed on all their vessels for free
• To any business who has downloaded a poster to display in their window. By the way, if you want one for your business or staff room, you can get one here.
• And to everyone who's been spreading the word to Restore The 111
• Anyone I've missed: you must let me know! Just comment below.

I never imagined that there'd be this many signatures. I mean, literally never.

You're all amazing people for caring about your local bus service.

And equally, I never imagined Torbay Bus Routes would get to this position in under a year.

Thank you to everyone who visits the site and sends kind comments via email.

Please keep signing here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tbr/.

THANK YOU!

Why We're Doing The Petition. Why You Should Sign It.

As many regular visitors, Twitter followers and other members of the public will now be aware, we are on a campaign to get the 111 back to Torquay instead of it being withdrawn on Monday, 23rd May.

First of all, a huge thank you and virtual high five is due to all who have signed so far, bringing the total to 41 signatures.

But some may ask the question: "Why does it need restoring to its original route? And why the huge deal?"

There are so many reasons why the 111 must not be allowed to go.

Number 1, in my book, is the fact that many elderly people used it to access Torbay Hospital & The Willows from Dartmouth, Harbertonford, Halwell, Totnes, Berry Pomeroy & Marldon. Passengers from Totnes onwards can still do this, but only with a few trips a day on the new Country Bus 149.

Many members of the public that we met today in Dartmouth & Totnes in the tourist information centres, Co-Op, Sainsbury's, Lidl and the Dartmouth Riverboats all had the same message, and it was loud and clear: they feel it's disgusting and awful that their local bus service that they use to get to work and out and about is going.

The staff in the Dartmouth Co-Op had to almost stop serving at the tills in utter disbelief at the fact that it was being withdrawn. Some weren't even aware that this was the case. So our posters and petition information really did cause a stir amongst all the staff in the Co-Op. The posters were displayed, and we're now counting on all staff and shoppers there to sign it.

And over at the Dartmouth Riverboats, it was the same story. The advertising manager said his mother is now unable to get to The Willows shopping centre in Torquay due to the route change to serve Paignton instead of Torquay. The petition is to get the route back to where it was, thus serving the hospital and The Willows once again. The manager was extremely kind and let us put the posters up for free on the passenger ferry and the riverboats between Dartmouth & Totnes.

The response was immense in Totnes, too, where the fish & chip shop near Coronation Road put up the poster immediately with no questions.

We'd like to thank everyone who is in support of this.

And for those of you who know other without Internet access, there's something we've organised...

This Saturday, 14th May, the petition will be available to sign in Save The Children's shop in Totnes between 10:00 and 13:00. We encourage as many people as possible to come and sign it.

(We'd like to point out very quickly that the petition has absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with Save the Children.)

Keep passing the message on. We're 100% determined and committed to getting the 111 back for you, the passengers and people who depend and use this service on a daily basis.

Once again, a huge THANK YOU to all!

Sign the petition at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tbr/

Sign The Petition - Pass It On!

The 111 at Dartmouth

The support received for the Restore the 111 with Torbay Bus Routes petition has been great so far.

But if we're to get the 111 restored to its original route, more must be done!

If you've signed, or are now going to sign, it would so awesome if you could pass the word onto others, friends, family - anyone who'd like to help save a local bus service.

If you've not heard of the petition yet, then you really must check out: http://torbaybusroutes.co.uk/111.html (information and link to sign petition).

Once again, thank you to all who have signed.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

Torbay Bus Routes Would Love To Restore The 111!

On Monday, 23rd May, 2011, Stagecoach's 111 service, currently operating between Paignton & Dartmouth, is to be withdrawn.

Torbay Bus Routes believes this is not the answer to the added competition from First's X81, which extended to Dartmouth, running the same as the new 111 route.

The old 111 route operated between Dartmouth, Totnes, Berry Pomeroy, Marldon, Torbay Hospital & Torquay. This operated around every hour.

New Country Bus 149 service operates the section of the route left unserved by the 111 in April between Totnes & Torquay. But this service only has a few trips a day.

The choice to withdraw the 111 completely cannot be the answer.

Don't you think it should be changed back to the original route between Darmouth, Totnes & Torquay?

This would mean passengers could easily travel from Torquay, The Willows & Torbay Hospital to Marldon, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes & Dartmouth. And all without the confusing array of services that exists now.

So we hope that you're in agreement: the 111 needs to be restored to its original route. It does not require total withdrawal.

What can I do?

We urge you to sign our petition online at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tbr/

With your support, we should be able to get a substantial amount of signatures to pass onto Stagecoach and Devon County Council.

If the petition asks you donate anything, please ignore this. Just continue.

Together, we can make a difference & restore the 111. Thank you!

Farewell, 111. You Will Be Missed.

There's another set of changes and cuts to hit Torbay, and this time, it falls on Monday, 23rd May.

One that surprised many was the withdrawal of Stagecoach 111.

After having changing the route to run from Paignton (not Torquay), this service is now to be withdrawn. This should come as a surprise to many: not only was a Sunday service due to come into effect the Sunday of 29th, but it's been little more than a month since new timetables, route maps, stickers for the stand in Paignton Bus Station, set-up of ticket machines, new destination blind settings and information informing people of the change were all set up.

In fact, the "new" 111, as some refer to it, will only have operated for 42 days. For those of you in the know, you'll have guessed what's going to be said next... but for the benefit of others - the minimum time to register a change/cancellation to/of a bus service with VOSA is 54 days. Therefore, Stagecoach would have had to have known they were going to withdraw it 12 days before it started running from Paignton with a Sunday service. Of course, VOSA can grant these things under short notice (so it can be fewer than 54 days). But neither @blytheski on Twitter nor I could find anything under Section 3.5 (Cancellation of Existing Services) or Section 3.6 (Cancellation of Existing Services Granted Under Short Notice).

It came as a surprise to many, I'm sure, that the 111 was to be withdrawn after such a service change. However, if you then look into it further, it does start to become clear as to perhaps why Stagecoach has decided this will be the 111's fate. Firstly, First (that's not a pun!) extended their X81 service (originally between Torquay & Totnes) all the way to Dartmouth, running the same route between Paignton & Dartmouth. It appeared that Stagecoach have tried to hit back at this by providing services on double deckers: something that was never before seen under usual circumstances on the 111's original route.

But there's more: all 111 and X81 journeys in the morning and into early evening are timetabled at the same timing points throughout the whole route with a five minute gap either way. That means that if you've just missed an X81 in Harbertonford, then never fear: a 111 is no more than 5 minutes away! This is clearly a huge competition, but Stagecoach should have the upper-hand. They have been running the 111 for a very long time, and most have Stagecoach passes, which aren't valid on First. Moreover, everyone was used to the 111. Suddenly, the people of Dartmouth and the villages between there and Totnes have got an X81 coming through, and it seems to have confused some.

From my own observations one early Saturday morning (07:55 from Dartmouth, in fact), people were waving on the X81 and hailing down the 111. I thought: "But people are choosing the 111 over the X81! Why is it being withdrawn?"

There's also another area that Stagecoach must have been wary of when making the decision to withdraw the 111: remember the X45? Stagecoach launched an express service between the Bay & Plymouth, in competition with First's X80. What did First do? They increased to every 15 minutes and dropped the fares to rock bottom prices. They even had radio adverts playing on the local radio (which also played on the 12's during the summer), advertising that their tickets were cheaper between Paignton & Torquay than on Stagecoach's buses. Yes, Stagecoach did make sure the radio stations were turned off! But then what happened when the X45 was withdrawn? Up went the fairs. Down went the frequency.

So perhaps Stagecoach is now scared that First will start to add lower fares, higher frequencies and many more journeys to their X81 - things that Stagecoach may not necessarily be able to compete with. So it could be seen as quitting while their ahead. It seems very much like de-ja-vu of the X45 days, so maybe that's what Stagecoach is frightened of. But I'm sure they could put up a fight against First: the passengers seem to want the 111.

Anyway, rant over. Until next time. Over and out.

Royal Wedding Day & Bank Holiday Bus Services

Tomorrow, 29th April, 2011, is the big day for Kate & Wills. It's also going to be a day (or a couple of days, in fact) of bus services running differently.

So here goes...

Friday, 29th April:

• Country Bus Devon: no service
• Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company: no service
• Dial A Bus: no service
• Devonian Motor Services: normal service
• First in Devon & Cornwall: Sunday service
• Stagecoach South West: Sunday service (except the 120, which will operate a Saturday service)

Therefore, the services that won't be operational in Torbay at all tomorrow will be:


7, 14, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 30A, 30B, 60, 61, 62, 62A, 64, 65, 66/A/B/C, 67, 68, X81, 88, 100, 108, 109, 110, 111, 149, 174, 506, SB1, SB2, SB3, SB4, SB5 and SB6


Saturday, 30th April, is a standard Saturday service.

Sunday, 1st May, is a standard Sunday service.

Monday, 2nd May:

• Country Bus Devon: no service
• Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company: normal service
• Dial A Bus: no service
• Devonian Motor Services: normal service
• First in Devon & Cornwall: Sunday service
• Stagecoach South West: Sunday service (except the 120, which will operate a Saturday service)

Therefore, the services that won't be operational in Torbay at all on Monday will be:

7, 14, 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 30A, 30B, 60, 61, 62, 62A, 64, 65, 66/A/B/C, 67, 68, X81, 88, 100, 108, 109, 110, 111, 149, 174, 506, SB1, SB2, SB3, SB4, SB5 and SB6

Smiles All Round As The Optares Hit Town!

Today (Monday, 11th April, 2011) was the day that the Optares arrived in service on Stagecoach's 5 (Paignton, Foxhole), Stagecoach's 17 (Brixham, Wall Park, Furzeham) and Stagecoach's 22 & 24 (Brixham, Higher Brixham, Kingswear). 

The Optare Solos replaced the elderly 1996 Mercedes Benz Sprint 709D's, infamous for their bumpy ride, awful gears and the roar of the engine as they roamed Paignton and Brixham. 

The Mercedes were well due an upgrade

There certainly were smiles all round as people boarded their new bus, and there wasn't a single person who didn't board a happy passenger on the 17 & 22. 

The most common comment was: "Nice new bus!" But some drivers were quick to point out that they're not actually new: they are 7 years old. That's still 8 years younger than the 709D's, though. Others were quick to compare the vehicle to that used on Local Link's 67 Flyer. 

The only fault that seemed to bother people was that there wasn't much in the way of legroom. Well, there's certainly a lot more than on the Sprinters. Some passengers were also wondering why the bus was shaking like mad whilst idling.

It was also not just passengers who loved the change of vehicle; the drivers were very pleased indeed! They're good to drive, and this week is the best week to get used to them, according to some. (What it'll be like in the summer, only time will tell!). 

One driver forgot they were automatic, and so tried to engage gear, resulting in the bus shooting off at some speed! The drivers also appear to be very fond of the kneeling system, whereby the bus floor can be lowered and raised to allow passengers to board more easily. A lady was told to step off the vehicle so the driver could try out the kneeling! That brought laughs all round on the vehicle in Brixham. Some people even took the bus for a trip into town with their buggy simply because they now can! 

It was anticipated that certain sections of the routes in Brixham and Paignton would be difficult to get round. But having travelled the full 17 and 22 routes, it can be confirmed that no problems arose, despite the vehicles being almost twice the length and wider than their predecessors. 

Awaiting its fate...

So what's happened to the old buses? Good question. There's still one standing at Paignton as I type, but any others are nowhere to be seen. But wait...
...seen on Stagecoach 12 this morning on the 08:35 Brixham to Newton Abbot was (yes, you guessed it!) a Mercedes Sprinter 709D! That provided much amusement! The third time I've witnessed a Sprinter on the 12.

This was the 08:35 12 from Brixham!

That's it for this week. And long may the Optares remain. Over and out. 

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.

VOSA Applications & Some Confusing Changes

>With all these government cuts and a 25% budget cut for Torbay, it's inevitable that some bus services will have to be withdrawn, be changed, or drastically reduced.
Whilst looking through some VOSA applications, I found some interesting and some confusing information about the future of Torbay's buses and buses around Devon:

• Country Bus are due to operated the 359 between Exeter & Moretonhampstead from 11th April
• Country Bus are also due to start operating a new route, the 149, between Torquay & Totnes from 11th April
• Country Bus are also to extend their 184 service to Teignmouth Railway Station from 11th April
• Country Bus have registered a new 76 service between Newton Abbot & Trago Mills from 11th April
• Dial A Bus (Local Link) are due to take over the operation of the 25 service between Paignton & Stoke Gabriel from 4th April
• Dartline are due to take over the 178 service between Newton Abbot & Moretonhampstead from 11th April
• Devonian Motor Services are due to start operating a new 50 service between Paignton & Cockington from 11th April
• Also, Devonian Motor Services will start running their 500 service daily again from 11th April, and they've also registered a new 501 service, which is presumably a variation of the 500 route.
• Stagecoach Devon have registered a supposedly 'new' 34 service between Torquay & The Willows from 11th April. However, a 34 already exists as a circular around Torquay's suburbs, so this is an odd one
• Stagecoach's 31 circular, which currently works with the 34 to provide a service in both directions, is due to have a timetable change from 11th April
• The 66/A/B/C from Brixham to Newton Abbot is due to have a timetable change from 11th April, which is most likely to connect with 111 journeys in Marldon, but one can only presume
• The Stagecoach 32/32C from The Willows to St.Marychurch are also due to have a timetable change from the same date
• Stagecoach's 5/5E service from Paignton to Foxhole is also due to have a timetable change from 11th April. It was expected that there'd be a route change due to the supposed arrival of Optare Solos in April.
• I certainly didn't know about this, but apparently, Local Link's 60 service had a route change from 7th February.
• Stagecoach 28 is due to be withdrawn from 11th April. This is the service from Penwill Way to Torquay Grammar Schools. Passengers should take the Local Link 67 service, running the same route from the bottom of Penwill Way at Quaywest.  The service calls there at approximately 08:18, and then calls at Paignton Bus Station, departing at 08:25. The service then calls at all the usual 28 service stops between Victoria Park & Torquay Grammar Schools between 08:25 and 08:42. 
• Also, Stagecoach 29 is due to withdrawn from 11th April. This is the service between King's Ash and Cuthbert Mayne School. The alternative for these passengers is to travel to Paignton Bus Station on a Stagecoach 12A, and then catch the 30A or 30B service from Paignton at 08:03. 

Well, the cuts that seem a bit drastic are Stagecoach 28 & 29. These services are always very busy. The strain that will be put on the Local Link 67 with all the usual 28 service passengers will be unthinkable, as the service sometimes turns up at the school in the afternoon with standing room only. The 29's withdrawal also seems unnecessary and completely unexpected.

What do you think?

For more, you can always visit torbaybusroutes.co.uk