15 April 2023

Devon changes coming up

A few service notifications from the last couple of days to catch up on

We are starting to see a few changes for Devon tendered services for the first weekend of June. A few cancellations at the moment. It remains to be seen if anyone is taking these over. The remains one are late notices for changes that have already happened. Saltash Red Bus have altered a couple of their weekly services and Filers have introduced a seasonal Sunday service for the 309/310

Dealtop Ltd (Dartline)

 Licence  Route  Start Point  End Point  Effective  Notes
PH0005305.013 173 Chagford Square Exeter, Sidwell Street 03-Jun-2023 Cancellation

Plymouth Citybus (Go Devon)

 Licence Route Start Point End Point Effective Notes
PH0000135.319 315 North Tawton Bideford 05-Jun-2023 CANCEL
PH0000135.320 315 Bideford Barnstaple 05-Jun-2023 CANCEL
PH0000135.324 315 (345, 377) Exeter Chulmleigh 05-Jun-2023 CANCEL
PH0000135.321 345 Okehampton North Tawton 05-Jun-2023 Cancel


Filers Travel

 Licence Route Start Point End Point Effective Notes
PH1066351.019 309 310 Lynton/ Lynmouth Barnstaple Bus Station 09-Apr-2023 Timetable variation - addition of seasonal Sunday and Bank Holiday service. (No new timetable on Traveline yet, but there is a Devon CC timetable linked via the route page)

Saltash Red Bus

 Licence Route Start Point End Point Effective Notes
COMMUNITY B1870 451 Merrymeet, Mission Church Saltash Fore street 03-Apr-2023 to amend timetable 
COMMUNITY B1877 451A Trerulefoot, Kernow Mill Liskeard, Barrass Street 07-Apr-2023 New Registration. New timetable on Go Cornwall page but not on Traveline yet
COMMUNITY B1874 455 St Neot Liskeard, Morrisons 03-Apr-2023 to amend timetable 

You could as always click through on the licence number for the full route history for each route with timetables and maps available for your viewing pleasure.

Go Devon 315 in its full glory:

route-315




Thank you for all the birthday wishes!

17 comments:

  1. Could we assume the Go Devon cancellations are likely to be reregistered under Dartline? Surely they aren’t pulling out of Devon already?

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    Replies
    1. I am wondering that myself! It would make more sense.

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    2. Might explain the full length Solo SRs transferring out of Plymouth to Dartline too, fleet standardisation for Dartline and returning the E200s to Plymouth.

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    3. Go Devon was created as a pre-cursor to the purchase of Dartline, i'm fairly sure, so yes this would make more sense with Dartline taking over the Go Devon branch of services.

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    4. A go cornwall e200 appeared on the PR3 to RD and E last week.

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    5. Believe county has issued new tenders for Go Devon contracts so not a simple internal Go South West transfer exercise it would appear Graham? Agency drivers must be costing a fortune, has any attempt been made to replace them anyone know?

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  2. GSW has surrendered the Devon contracts. They’re back out to tender.

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  3. Stagecoach should take them back

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    Replies
    1. Only if they now have sufficient drivers - which is why the tendered sections of the 5A/5B/5C were surrendered in the first place. Sometimes we have short memories ....

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    2. Also Julian difficult for Stagecoach to comply with Traffic Commissioner ruling of no split registrations on such long rural routes with no real opportunities to change drivers more than once on 315. EU rules preclude its use of young drivers and push costs up.

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  4. It's conceivable of course that GSW could still win the routes back at a more sustainable price.

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    Replies
    1. I would agree though drivers been told ending (guess could rehire but are agency rates sustainable long term? Assume still used?)

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    2. Maybe GSW should have a bid with a realistic price and actually looked to see if they could taken on the routes in the first place! Is there some kind of push from Go Ahead to aggressively expand more in Devon & Cornwall?

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  5. I did here a story that 1 or 2 drivers quit go Devon and joined the agency and then worked contracted to go Devon at a higher rate of pay. As they saw it unfair that agency drivers were earning more to take same buses out of same yard. Maybe if dartline were successful they would run it from there base in the area

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    Replies
    1. That agency drivers get higher gross pay is a bit of a red herring given they have to pay agency fees plus employer NI and pension contributions.

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    2. James; DCC may have provided optimistically high revenue estimates in the original tenders.

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    3. Have to pay NI & pensions yes but still a higher rate I suspect to entice drivers away from home plus often free accommodation as was advertised by Manley Summers for Go Devon routes (even mentioned 'luxury accommodation' in the advert). DCC revenue estimates are surely based on the previous operator takings but did the authority perhaps expect more of a post-Covid loadings increase?)

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