Devon County Council Tendered services

It looks like most of the end of August changes have now come through so last week we just have a few notices from Dartline with a few of their services now being operated by other operators under Devon County Council tendering.

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes	Operator
PH0005305.118	348	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	30-Aug-2026	Service withdrawn. Passengers from the Lea Road, Cowley Moor Road and Pinnex Moor Road areas will be served every 30 minutes by extended service 55 providing a direct bus to Tiverton and Exeter (via Morrisons/Hospital). Passengers from the Queensway, Lime Road, Holly Road, Elmore Way and Siddals Gardens areas will be served every hour by a revised service 343 into Tiverton.	DEALTOP LIMITED
PH0005305.116	349	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	30-Aug-2026	Service withdrawn. Passengers from the Lea Road, Cowley Moor Road and Pinnex Moor Road areas will be served every 30 minutes by extended service 55 providing a direct bus to Tiverton and Exeter (via Morrisons/Hospital). Passengers from the Queensway, Lime Road, Holly Road, Elmore Way and Siddals Gardens areas will be served every hour by a revised service 343 into Tiverton.	DEALTOP LIMITED
PH0005305.120	352	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	30-Aug-2026	cancellation. Replacement operated by Redwoods with minor changes to timetable to accommodate a driver lunch break	DEALTOP LIMITED
PH0005305.121	353	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	Tiverton Bus Station, Tiverton	30-Aug-2026	cancellation. Replacement operated by Redwoods with minor changes to timetable to accommodate a driver lunch break	DEALTOP LIMITED
PH0005305.117	369	The Mitre Inn, Witheridge	Sidwell Street stop 40, Exeter	30-Aug-2026	Amended route, certain journeys operating via Kennerleigh and Black Dog to replace service 679 (Was regsistred as Cancelled originally - this registration has replaced it)	DEALTOP LIMITED

Speaking of the tenders...

Bus changes have reduced the time passengers from local villages can spend in Barnstaple to less than two hours making it unfeasible for many who have used the service as a lifeline. Users of the local authority funded 372 Stagecoach bus service, which runs once a day on Mondays and Fridays between Bradworthy and Barnstaple ( also serving Buckland Brewer, Putford, Parkham and Littleham), are calling on Devon County Council to reconsider the changes which will come into effect on August 30.

The county council said few people travelled on the service and reducing its time in Barnstaple would allow the bus to operate a school service afterwards, making the 372 viable. But passengers are angry including regular user Margaret Millman who has written a letter to council bosses.

“A significant number of passengers have no access to private transport and rely on the bus for essential food shopping, attending GP and hospital appointments, collecting prescriptions, banking and accessing other services that are not available locally,” she said.

“Because the route travels along narrow single-track country roads and then encounters heavy traffic on entering Barnstaple, the bus occasionally arrives later than scheduled. This is outside the control of both passengers and the driver.

“Reducing the time available in Barnstaple is unreasonable and will make it much more difficult for passengers to complete essential tasks before the return journey. The new timetable shows little consideration for the needs of those who depend on this service.

Service 372 is also losing its college day only journeys between Bradworthy and North Devon College due to low demand.

“It’s like the authorities are saying tough luck! Do they want people to just sit in their houses and rot away?”

Under the new timetable travellers on the 372 will have one hour and 54 mins in Barnstaple (that is without late departures and arrivals and traffic issues. The bus will get in at 10.51am and leave at 12.45am.

The current arrival time for the bus is 11:15am and it departs Barnstaple Bus Station at 1.50pm.

A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “Changes to Service 372 are being made to ensure the route remains financially viable and can continue to operate.

“Service 372 is funded by Devon County Council and operates between Bradworthy and Barnstaple on Mondays and Fridays. On average, fewer than four passengers per day use the service to travel to Barnstaple.

“Reducing the time slightly in Barnstaple will allow the bus to operate a school service after operating service 372, which reduces the cost of operating the service. Without this change, the service would no longer be sustainable.

“The college day only journeys on service 372 are being withdrawn, as usage averaged fewer than one person per day.”

Torridge and Tavistock Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Cox is understood to be in ongoing communication with Stagecoach regarding local bus services and the difficulties faced by rural communities in accessing reliable public transport.

Full story Devon Live