20 September 2012

Citybus fares and times

Plymouth Citybus now have full details of their new timetables on their web site. They also have an important note about fares – it seems that the flat fare experiment has not been a success so its back to normal fares at the end of the month. I know many passengers will welcome this!

 

Here at Plymouth Citybus we are please to reveal our revised network, which will start on Sunday 11th November. We have been in consultation for the last three months with you, the people who use the service, making sure that the changes we are making are for the better.

We have been on the road with our ‘Chatter Bus’ as well as opening up new communication channels via social media and our website, to make sure we gained all your comments on our proposed plans, helping us to evolve them into the final plans shown below and on the timetable page of the web site.

We will be investing over £1/2 million in the new network, which will start on Sunday 11th November. We have been working hard with you to make sure that the new revised network will be more reliable and punctual, whilst suiting the public transport needs of Plymouth more.

From Sunday 30th September we are also moving away from the flat fare structure that we introduced in April and going back to a distance based fare table. The move from the flat fare will mean that many of you will be paying less for your bus journey and importantly no one will be paying more. The furthest distance single and return will not revert back to the pre flat fare prices until the new year.

All other fares including season tickets on ‘the key’ and Dayrider specials are unchanged.

We hoped that the two factors together will encourage more people to use public transport in Plymouth. Below we have highlighted a couple bigger benefits that we have ready to put in place. A full route map will be on this site very soon with route by route changes outlined below.

Services 40 and 41 will see 2 more buses and 3 additional drivers employed to maintain the current combined frequency of every 10 minutes. Service 29 and 34 will be allocated 1 more bus and 2 more drivers to help ensure these two services operate considerably better than current.

Other positives are: the restoration of a link to Derriford Hospital from Efford, providing a Monday to Friday service between Ernesettle Whitleigh and Derriford. Restored evening services for the Service 34 Monday to Saturday and Whitleigh on Sundays. New Sunday services to Saltash with increased Sunday Services Kings Tamarton and Plympton. More services operating direct between Derriford Hospital and the City Centre Monday to Friday. We have also been able to maintain services between Peverell, Brake Farm and Honicknowle to Derriford Hospital. Sadly we could not do everything that was asked for so the following changes that had been put forward in our earlier consultation rounds has been put to one side for now. These are: evening services for the Service 20, more buses to Estover industrial estate, Sunday evening Service 34, 35 and 29.

Below is by service summary of our changes. Timetables are available to view on our web site with printed versions available from our Travel Centre from the middle of October.

You can download the new network map by clicking here.

Service 5/A

Service 5/A alterations to morning services with the last two evening journeys terminate at Prince Rock

Service 8 and Service 9

Service 8A/C/D to be replaced with Service 8. Both Services retimed in the peaks to create an even combined bus every 10 minutes from earlier in the day and will maintain this frequency until a little later in the day. With Sunday evening services to operate alternate Service 8 and 9 on an hourly basis

Service 13

Minor changes to intermediate timing points within the timetable to provide improved reliability. There are no changes to the number of journeys or days of operations. Service 13 is provided with financial support from Plymouth City Council

Service 16/B

Service 16 has been retimed to improve reliability with services operating every 15 minutes for more of the day than at present. Service 16B is to be replaced with Service 16. (Services to Holly Park being covered by changes to the Service 43B) Sunday will see services in Kings Tamerton increased from the current hourly to every 30 minutes during the day evening services will continue to be provided on an hourly basis.

Service 20

Service to Mudge Way via Glen road has been restored with Services operating from Sandy Road Plympton to Mudge Way then into Woodford before continuing to the City Centre via Lipson Vale. On most journeys once the bus has reached the City Centre will continue as the Service 42 to Derriford Hospital. Other changes to the Service 20 include the introducing of a Sunday day service and the routeing of the Service to operate from Strode Road then Glen Road to Mudge Way thus restoring a number of local links to Woodford.

Service 21/A /B

The current Service 21 and 22 are to be replaced with new services 21/A/B

Service 21/A will depart from the City Centre up to every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes evenings and every 15 minutes during the day on Sundays.From Mudge way

Service 21 will operate Westfield, Chaddlewood, Sandy Road, St Maurice to Mudge Way, with the Service 21A operating St Maurice, Sandy Road, Chaddlewood, West Field to Mudge Way.
Service 21/A is to operate to the City Centre via Embankment Road and Prince Rock. In most cases it will be possible continue through to Devonport on the Service 26 which has also been retimed to improve reliability and journey options for Plympton.

Service 21B will provide additional trips in the morning and evening peak Monday to Friday and will operate from Steer Park to Chaddlewood and Westfield. From Westfield the Service will operates along Glen Road to Plymouth Road before continuing to the City Centre via Prince Rock.

Service 22

Service 22 is to be replaced by the new Service 21 and Service 21A. The revised service 20 will now connect Plympton to the City via Lipson (See Service 20 for more information).

Service 23/D and Service 24

Service 23D will be replaced by Service 23. Both services have minor time changes in the peaks, with some additional late evening services on Sundays being provided by the Service 23. Sunday and Bank Holiday services are to operate with hourly service 23 and an hourly service 24

Service 25

Minor changes to times with additional journeys in the School day peak to enable a regular 30 minute timetable to be delivered Monday to Saturday and also on Sundays during the summer months. With a change of route = From West Hoe the Service is to instead operate West Hoe, Western Approach to Mayflower Street to Royal Parade instead of Walker Terrace and Citadel Road to Royal Parade.

Service 26/B/D

Service 26 has been retimed to improve reliability, evening Service 26B will be incorporated into the Service 26 along with the current journeys on the Service 26D becoming 26A. Most journeys on the Service 26 will continue to Plympton as the Service 21/A to provide through journeys between Plympton and Devonport.

Service 27

Current Service 27 will split at the City Centre with buses between the Torpoint Ferry terminal and the City centre being renamed Service 33. The remainder of the timetable is subject to a route revision, see Service 33/28/A/B for information on how the section of route between City Centre and Deer Park is planned to change.

Service 28/A/B

These Services are to be replaced by a new Service 27 and Service 28.
Service 27 is to operate every 30 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday and hourly evenings Sunday to Saturday and hourly during the day on Sundays. Service is to operate from the City Centre to Blandford Road then Eggbuckland Charfield drive to Crownhill terminating at Derriford Hospital.

Service 28 is to operate every 30 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday and hourly evenings Sunday to Saturday and hourly during the day on Sundays. Service is to operate from the City Centre to Eggbuckland Road then Deer Park, Eggbuckland Austin Crescent to Crownhill terminating at Derriford Hospital. These Services from Derriford will connect Derriford and Eggbuckland via Crownhill Village.

Service 29

This service has been retimed to improve reliability with Services to Derriford operating via Crownhill Village. Due to increased journey times these services will operate 10 minutes later in the hour than current. Evening Services to operate hourly Monday to Saturday with later buses operating on Sundays.

Service 31

No Changes, Service 31 is provided with financial support from Plymouth City Council

Service 33

This service replaces old Service 27 between the City Centre at Torpoint Ferry. Service to operate up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday.

Service 34

Service 34 has been retimed to improve reliability Sunday to Saturday, with additional evening services being provided hourly Monday to Saturday with later buses operating on Sundays. Service timed to provide better connections with the Ferry’s.

Service 35

Service 35 has been retimed to improve reliability There are also changes in the peaks to even out the timetable Monday to Saturday.

Service 36

From 3rd September the first and last journeys were withdrawn, however, there are no further changes for November

Service 4S

This service is to be withdrawn following the ending of our arrangement with Lipson School and very low usage.

Service 40/41

The route remains unchanged with the exception that on approach to the City Centre the Service will operate via North Hill and Mayflower Street instead of North Road East. However, these timetables have been re-timed to improve reliability. These Services together will continue to provide services every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday with evening services operating every 30 minutes Sunday to Saturday and every 30 minutes during the day on Sundays. These changes will see the return of evening Sunday services to Southway.

Service 42/A/X/D

Service 42 will split to become two separate hourly timetables with Services from Tamerton Foliot to the City Centre via Derriford operating hourly as Service 42 which operates Tamerton Folliot. looseleigh lane, Derriford hospital then to the City Centre via Mutley Plain. Service 42A will also depart hourly from Tamerton Folliot then operate via Southway to Tavistock Road then continue to the City Centre via Derriford Hospital and Mutley Plain. Evening Services are to operate as the Service 42 Sunday to Saturday.

In addition to the above Monday to Friday additional services will be provided in the off peak between Derriford Hospital and the City Centre creating a bus every 15 minutes from Derriford Hospital to the City Centre with further additional trips in the Monday to Friday Peak. Buses from the City Centre that operate just to Derriford will be marked

Service 43

Service retimed to improve reliability (Sundays have been extensively retimed). Service 43 will continue to be the principle Service between St Budeaux Square and the City Centre which together with Services 43A/B and the Service 29 will continue to provide a bus every 5 minutes (10 on Sundays) for most of the day.

Service 43A

Service 43A has been retimed to improve its relationship with the retimed Services 29, 43/B with an additional service operating 19:40 from the City Centre to Saltash. Service 43A will also see the introduction of a Sunday day service also operating hourly for most of the day.

Service 43B

Service 43B has been retimed to improve its relationship with the retimed Services 29, and Service 43. Evening Services are being introduced on this service Sunday to Saturday to replace evening Service 16B and to improve the level of evening Services between St Budeaux and the City centre offsetting the withdrawal of the Service 26B. In addition Service 43B is to operate during the day on Sundays which together with the Service 43/A and Service 29 will create a bus every 10 minutes during the day on Sundays between St Budeaux and the City Centre.

Service 44/A

Services have been retimed to improve reliability with both Services retimed in the peaks to create an even combined bus every 10 minutes from earlier in the day and will maintain this frequency until a little later in the day. Evening Services on Sundays have also been returned to compliment the retimed Sunday day timetable. Service 44/A together with Service 40 and 41 provide buses up to every 5 minutes for most of the day Monday to Saturday between the City Centre and Crownhill.

Service 45

This is a new service commences from the 30th September providing almost express type services between Ivybridge and Plymouth every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sunday.

Service 46

This is a new service designed to replace the recently withdrawn connections between Ernesttle Whitleigh Southway to Derriford Hospital. The Service is to operate hourly off peak Monday to Friday.

Service 49

This service operates under tender with Devon County Council and is not changing.

Service 50

This Service has been retimed to improve reliability. Service 50 will continue to operate every 15 minutes although this new timetable will extend that frequency over more of the day. The ability to stay on the service 50 bus as a through link between Derriford and Transit Way on Service 61 and Service 62 will no longer be possible.

Service 61 and Service 62

These services has been extensively re-timed to improve reliability,
Service to Derriford Hospital Monday to Saturday with Service 61 operating every 20 minutes to Transit Way with one bus an hour operating to Derriford Hospital, Service 62 also operating every 20 minutes with one bus an hour operating to Derriford Hospital. Both together providing a bus every 30 minutes between Transit way and Derriford.

To achieve this Service 62 will not operate into St Pancras as originally proposed with St Pancras being served by the Service 61 every 20 minutes. Buses providing a Service 61 to Transit way will on most occasions operate its next trip as a service 62 to the City Centre (and vice versa) thus providing new journey options connecting Brake Farm with Honicknowle and West Park.

New Service 61 and 62 would provide departures off Transit Way every 10 minutes for most of the day for the City Centre.

Service 152

This Service has been retimed to provide improved arrival times at Derriford Hospital.

I will continue with the route by route changes in the morning with the 13…

12 comments:

  1. What happened to all the cross city routes like the 43 operating from Ernesettle to Whitleigh?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not happy that the 22 has been replaced by the 20, & in turn the later evening services City Centre bound via Laira & Lipson have gone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is it just me or is this massive overhaul of services just become a bit of a damp squib...no cross city services, no 10min freq through St Pancras, no sunday evening services on several routes...basically I see they have cut back on some of the extra bits in Plymouth to allow resources on a pointless assault against First in Ivybridge!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The cross city link is still there. Between plympton and devonport, quote "Service 21/A is to operate to the City Centre via Embankment Road and Prince Rock. In most cases it will be possible continue through to Devonport on the Service 26 which has also been retimed to improve reliability and journey options for Plympton." It will just change number.
    Also, the Ernesettle Whitleigh connection is there in the form of the new 46, quote "connections between Ernesttle Whitleigh Southway to Derriford Hospital".
    As for 45, provided the service is reliable, it is likely CityBus will pick up the trade from first, as the X80 is usually late and unreliable, and the 180 isn't much better. It remains to be seen what the 88 brings, but it will connect to Lee Mill, where as express service on the 45 will be a huge benefit to communitors. Most journeys, we think, will connect to Saltash as a 43A.
    The 50 into a 61/62 which now isn't happening will be positive, both services run late as a rule at the moment.
    CityBus have not forgotten the other changes that were discussed, the article above says "Sadly we could not do everything that was asked for so the following changes that had been put forward in our earlier consultation rounds has been put to one side for now".
    I think there is a lot of positive moves here

    ReplyDelete
  5. There are additional Sunday and evening services on many routes so don't know where the comment "no Sunday evening services on several routes" comes from.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 29,35 etc. The 34 is not that latE either..leaving around 10:15 from william YARD. The proposed timetables a few months back had evening services on many routes until past midnight, now most routes finish at 11.0opm latest...some sunday evening services run til 9:00 and that;s it.. not what was in the last batch of proposed timetables before theyt got the idea of taking respurces for an Ivybridge route which may well e quicker than First but does not cover the estates of Ivybridge or Lee Mill for Tesco etc?

    ReplyDelete
  7. you will never please everyone. fact of life. deal with it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. First have their new 88 service online...has anyone niticed that it states First Devon are pleased to announce new Ivybridge route not First D & C.. is this their new name First Devon this side of the tamar ?? First Kernow west side of the river perhaps ???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting - I didnt notice that! I must admit First Devon was my guess at the eventual local fleetname if and when it comes. (I am posting on the new 88 tomorrow morning)

      Delete
  9. So any news on the local company.supposedly wanting to buy first plymouth. Is.it still for sale or a first going to try and turn the 3mil loss around!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thats anyones guess at the moment! I am pretty sure its still for sale but I am really at a loss as to who might want it (that would actually be allowed to buy it) First have sadly allowed it to run down so much over the last year or so...

      Delete
  10. Re the First 88/X80 Ivybridge leaflet:

    a) It's a pity that bus stop locations, the rail station and walking route to/from the station are not shown. I believe there is a footpath linking Coles Lane and the station but I have no idea if it takes one to a bus stop. This bus, together with Citybus 45 which serves the station, could be useful for those wishing to travel by train from the area to Newton Abbot and beyond.
    b) I'm not surprised that the 'First 3 Day Devon & Cornwall Ticket' is not valid on the 398 Tiverton - Minehead as it has been operated by Beacon Bus since 2011; traveline shows the operator as 'Holsworthy' but I'm not sure who they are.
    c) Another barred service is the 92/92A. This now is simply the 92 with the majority of journeys running to Tiverton with just two to Cullompton. Exeter is no longer served.

    ReplyDelete

Have something interesting to say? Please share it here!

(Moderation is currently switched on so please allow a short while before your comment appears on the site. This is only to cut down on spam - not to cut out people who disagree with me!)