30 July 2014

First Devon: A little bit smaller from September

First Devon have now released details of their upcoming service changes. No real good news. All of these are from the 7th September


Service 1/1A (Royal Parade - Saltash - Royal Parade)

The late evening 1 & 1A services will effectively be combined. The 22.00 Service 1 from Royal Parade will be withdrawn but the 21.30 and 22.40 Service 1A will be extended to cover St Stephens after serving Latchbrook, operating via Church Road. The 21.56 from Latchbrook and 22.04 will be the last journey into Plymouth.


Service 2 (Royal Parade - Mount Batten - Royal Parade)

The 23.00 from Royal Parade and the 23.26 from Mount Batten are being withdrawn.


Service 3 (Royal Parade - St Budeaux - Royal Parade)

The 22.10 and 23.10 from Royal Parade and the 22.30 and 23.30 from St Budeaux are being withdrawn. Evening services from the 18.35 are slightly retimed to run five minutes later with the journeys departing Royal Parade at 20.05 and 21.05, diverted via the Torpoint Ferry. This is to enable passengers wishing to get to Torpoint to do so by travelling as foot passengers on the ferry.


Service 4 (Royal Parade - Keyham - Royal Parade)

The service is being withdrawn due to declining passenger numbers. Customers on this service do have an alternative operator. At points on the route customers can take a short walk to catch our services 1/1A and 76 on Alma Road and Wolsely Road and service 3 onSaltash Road and Keyham Road.


Service 81 (Plymouth - Torpoint)

Journeys after the 20.30 departure from Royal Parade and after the 19.43 from HMS Raleigh are being withdrawn. Passengers travelling between Torpoint Ferry and Plymouth city centre can travel from Torpoint Ferry (Devonport side) on the diverted Service 3 which will operate via the ferry terminal from 20.10.


Service 93 (Dartmouth - Plymouth)

The "short' 93 journeys which currently operate between Elburton Hotel and Plymouth city centre will be withdrawn. The journeys to Plymouth starting and finishing in Yealmpton, Kingsbridge and Dartmouth are not affected.

Its not all doom and gloom though. There are a few minor improvements...


Service 76 (Callington - Plymouth)

The timetable is being revised to provide faster journeys between Callington and Plymouth. Most peak journeys will continue to serve Ashton and St Dominick with some continuing to serve the Burraton Industrial Estate.

First 40580 HIG8791 22 February 2011

Service 79 (Tavistock - Callington)

Following requests, a new service connecting Tavistock and Callington Community College is being introduced with one return journey each day on school days.


Service PR1 (The George - Milehouse - City Centre) & PR2 (Coypool - City Centre)

Both Park & Ride services in Plymouth will have later additional departures from Royal Parade with departure to all three sites at 18.45 and 19.00. Timetables for the above routes will be available on our website two weeks before they change. Timetables leaflets will also be available from The George Junction Park & Ride office and Bretonside Travel Shop at the same time. (CJ)

So I guess this releases a few more buses which can be sent up to Somerset. At least they will gain a nice new coat of paint!

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16 comments:

  1. All the good news seems to come from First Kernow these days. How times change!

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  2. Yet they are still looking for drivers! What is going on??

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  3. The fact they are taking on drivers suggests to me they have got a long term plan for Plymouth and need more drivers. Just because they axe 1 route and cartail a few evening services does not mean it's the end. Seems to me they are making sensible decisions in order to keep the routes they have profitable whilst maintaining lower fares.

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  4. what the hell gone on with first devon things seem be getting wrose with alex in charge ,no number 4 bus any more after 26 years how bad not ever one wants citybus
    no toproint bus after 20.30 ,and 19.45from torpoint what the hell seen first bus last nite in torpoint had more people on it then,and first gone to run the number 3 bus to Devonport ferry how about people walk torpoint side in rain ,think it about time first bus pulled out realy just cutting routes big time and pushing people on citybus late at nite think first are finnshed here .no new routes for nothing just all big cuts

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  5. What's the connection? Every bus company in the country needs to recruit for retirements, general turnover etc. if they're expanding then they need more.

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  6. I heard that new drivers at first are only being offered 3 month renewable contracts. That doesn't sound like long term commitment to me.

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    1. Not sure where this as come from but it is totally wrong. Sorry

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  7. there no new routes in pipline .or no newer buses come in just more old clap out rubbish from else where thought things would been better with alex here but wrong ant we ,soz true ,citybus seem to be push first out but lot dearer to use

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    1. Completely WRONG , Check First Devon Facebook page, brand new buses on there way in Early September for Tavistock routes replacing the current 12 plate E40Ds Alex Carter is doing a good job

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  8. Anon 1 Aug 1857. Load of rubbish. Be wary who you speak to.

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  9. First relaunching park and ride in September with new front livery. 08 enviro sporting re spray this morning on pawl and ride stand.

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    1. Came across it yesterday:

      https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomas190/14857854723/

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  10. First have not lost the habit of putting route-branded buses on the wrong route. A week or so back I saw a purple bus clearly labelled to the effect that all journeys were £1 - but it was in Keyham on the 4. Would I be entitled to get on it and insist on paying only £1 - Trades Descriptions and all that?

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    1. The seller (FDC in this case) is under no obligation to sell something at an advertised price. Any such advert is an "invitation to treat" – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_treat.

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    2. First have been route branded buses on the wrong route for years but everytime I mention it I am shouted down by First lovers who say its better to have a bus turn up that no bus at all. That is not the poin twhy brand buses for a special route if you are not able to operate them on that route. It rarely happens with other bus operators in this area.

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  11. Keith. Dont be silly. If you were on a Park and Ride bus expecting to go to Coypool, would you be surprised if it ended up in Dartmouth, just because it was branded for Service 93. Route branding simply makes the allocators life more difficult. A bus is a bus, is a bus.

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