08 January 2010

Citybus pull out of Kent

Sorry but ice has forced us out of Woodford and Maidstone!


Once again the use of Facebook and Twitter has been a real boon for the bus companies and passengers. There was no more snow (in Plymouth anyway) today but ice was a major problem. It took me ages to walk up Keswick Crescent which remained iced up and un-served by buses for much of the day. Both bus companies kept passengers updated throughout although not all passengers could be bothered to look back through the messages hence this plea from Citybus earlier in the day:

PLEASE Please Please read the earlier posts and most of your questions will be answered. We are here to help but we are unable to respond to the same questions again and again. If you can't find the answer in the earlier posts then please ask away and we will, do all we can to help you.

There have been plenty of comments left to suggest passengers welcome the information:

fab effort PCB you've served the public well these last few days. great communication and the bus driver on the 41 at 1pm was a lovely man, warning passengers about ice on the pavements and so helpful and nice.
this is what you call customer service seeing an easy way to get information to the masses as using it well in times of abnormality.

There was also a nice touch when one notice informed passengers...Sorry but ice has forced us out of Woodford and Maidstone. The temperature is dropping sharply now the sun is going down.
blimey. i didn't know the buses went as far as kent lol
to which Citybus replied
Oops well spotted. Mainstone not Maidstone although we probably couldn't get around there either!

Today also saw another big problem which I am still not convinced was just down to the poor weather. Derriford hospital was just at a complete standstill. I was let of work early at just after 4pm. By 4:20 I was sitting on a 15 waiting to pull out of the bus stop. At 5:15 we had made it out of Derriford Hospital 'loop' not arriving at Asda till 5:25, which didn't leave a lot of time to walk across to Leigham to pick up my son from after school club. Glad I didn't wait till 5pm to leave work... It all just seemed to be the volume of traffic more than anything as the main blockage was traffic trying to enter the site stopping traffic from leaving the site - viscous circle in every sense of the word. Citybus themselves pointed out "Have not known it this bad especially as so many cars are off the road". At least our 15 Ugobus was nice and warm!

First on Twitter 7 Jan 2010
07:22 PLYMOUTH/SOUTH DEVON - buses are operating with some disruptions,but may not be serving some estates. Individual service updates to follow.

07:23 CORNWALL: Most bus services are operating in Cornwall but may not be serving some estates. Individual service updates to follow

07:39 PLYMOUTH/TAVISTOCK Service 83/84/86 between Plymouth Yelverton & Tavistock are not serving Whitchurch

07:41 PLYMOUTH: Services PR1/PR2 Park and Ride in Plymouth are operating but subject to disruption, Service 1/1A between Plymouth and Saltash is not serving St Stephens, Oaklands Drive or Yellowtor Road, Service 2 is operating but not serving Pomphlette Road/Foresters RoadService 3 is not serving Barne Barton but terminating at St Budueaux Square, Service 4 is not serving the Keyham area but staying on the main road, Service 6 is not serving Goosewell or Holmwood Avenue, Service 7 is not serving Woolwell or Marjons, Service 11 is not serving Honicknowle Green, Service 15 is not serving Estover, Asda, Mainstone, Service 17 is only serving Southway Drive in Southway and is not serving Dunnet Road or Clittaford Road.

07:45 PLYMOUT/CALLINGTON: Service 76 between Plymouth, Callington and Launceston, is not serving Ashton or St Dominic. SOUTH DEVON: Service X80/180 is not serving Cole Lane & the estates in Ivybridge & Westonfields in Totnes. PLYMOUTH/TORPOINT: Service 81/81C between Plymouth, Torpoint and Cremyll are not serving Great Park in Torpoint. TAVISTOCK: Service 83/84/86 between Plymouth, Multley, Derriford Hospital, Yelverton and Tavistock are not serving Whitchurch. TAVISTOCK: Service 87/89 in the Tavistock area are not currently operating.

08:44 CORNWALL: Has started snowing heavily which is causing disruption to services. Services are still operational but monitoring situation.

09:50 CORNWALL: Majority of services in Penzance,Truro,Camborne, Helston & Falmouth have now been suspended due to snow. Updates to follow

14:04 TAVISTOCK: infomed accident in Horrabridge involves the air ambulance & road closed in both directions so severe delays to 83/84/86 likely.

14:15 CORNWALL:Services beginning to resume in Cornwall after snow earlier although still affecting StAustell so service 25,26,27 still suspended.

16:05 PLYMOUTH: Severe traffic and delays at Derriford Hospital affecting services 7, 15, 83/84/86. Updates to follow.

16:32 PLYMOUTH: Due to road works & volume of traffic at Derriford/Future Inn unfortunately services PR1, 7, 15 & 83/84/86 are severely delayed.

17:01 CORNWALL: Due to forcasted temperatures of -12 in Cornwall tonight all services due to operate will be suspended at 2100. Brrrrr wrap up!!!

18:42 PLYMOUTH/SOUTH DEVON: Buses are operating with some minor disruptions, but may not be serving some estates where roads icy or snowy.

21:18 Adverse weather update - Service 86 between Plymouth & Tavistock has been suspended between Yelverton & Tavistock due to ice for ...

Citybus on Twitter / Facebook 7 Jan 2010
06:13 Buses operating over main roads. The usual places are no go facebook has list

07:35 Bus services NOT operating 22 31 49 58 59 All other bus services are operating at this moment in time. Full list of no go areas on Facebook

Plymouth Citybus Good morning - buses running on main roads. We cannot serve the following. Admiralty Street, Yellowtor Road, Pilmere, Austin Crescent, Shallowford Road, Culver Way, Deer Park, Lower Compton, Keswick Crescent, Mainstone, Whitleigh Green, Sheridan Road

Plymouth Citybus There will be a further full update at 0700 once more buses are out and about. By then we may also have heard from the schools and can tell you about school buses. We will keep you informed here, on Twitter and via Radio Devon with Gordon Sparks. Update as soon as I can get to work. Just noticed I forgot to mention that Keswick Crescent is also out

All buses are operating along the main roads, places out of bounds to us are - Keswick Crescent, Culver Way, Mainstone, Yellowtor Road, Pilmere, St Georges Avenue, Lower Compton, Admiralty Street, Austin Crescent, Sheridan Road, Tamar Science Park, Merafield, Charfield Drive, Leatfield Drive, Whitleigh Green

08:55 Shallowford Road now open but we can still not serve Austin Crecent Culver Way or Charfield Drive

09:11 PLEASE Please Please read the earlier posts and most of your questions will be answered. ALL bus services arfe running bar those listed although we still cannot get around a few side roads. We are here to help but we are unable to respond to the same questions again and again. If you can't find the answer in the earlier posts then please ask away and we will, do all we can to help you.

10:41 Dunnett Road is now open and Southway services 40 and 41 are back to normal

11:35 This afternoon PC4, PC5 and PC6 will run early at 1530 to return children home from Plymouth College. Tomorrow, all PC1 to PC6 services will operate provided there is no serious change in the weather. A BIG thank you to the College for keping us up to date again. Would other schools please follow suit.

12:16 Mainstone is now fully open to us - we are now on the way to check Saltash

12:26 We are pleased to say that we intend to operate everything as normal tomorrow, Friday. The only exceptions may be the Launceston City College bus and services 31 58 59. There may be the odd road we can't manage but the plan is to operate as near as normal tomorrow. Thank you all for your patience and support. Let's hope that the weekend does not see further problems.

12:54 Saltash now fully open with the 26 service back to normal working. The 152 service can only serve the main roads

13:59 We have now restored the 49 service which will serve Heybrook Bay but NOT Wembury Point as the turning circle is still iced over.

15:53 Sorry but ice has forced us out of Woodford and Maidstone. The temperature is dropping sharply now the sun is going down.

16:03 The 12 has been withdrawn from Steer Park due to ice. Traffic at Derriford Hospital is at a standstill we are trying to find out why

16:37 Buses are taking ages to get through Derriford Hospital. The whole area is gridlocked with traffic for no obvious reason

16:47 Traffic roadworks and ice have brought the whole Derriford Hospital area to a virtual standstill. Major delays to all services using that area

16:57 Hopefully to clarify the situation for Friday We intend to operate everything as normal tomorrow. That includes all school Grammar School and College buses. The only exceptions may be the services 31 58 59. There may be the odd road we can't manage but the plan is to operate as near as normal tomorrow. Thank you all for your patience and support.

17:17 Buses out of Keswick Crescent due to ice.


Further Reading

Omnibuses: Only one subject today !
PTOTPA - Cawsand Snow
 
Recommended Links
TGP - Winkleigh - Wide and White.

 

 

 

PlymTransit on Twitter

1 comment:

  1. You might not be so warm at the end of February when the 15 goes to a twenty minute frequency!
    Must agree with Citybus though never seen it so bad at the Hospital - surely this was not all due to the icicles on Crownhill flyover?

    ReplyDelete

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