New Liskeard Bus Station

 I have continued to struggle in the heat so evening computer time has been rather limited for a while now. But thanks to Peter Murgahan I am able to bring you an update on Liskeard Bus Station:

Liskeard's new bus station, in the former Cattle Market, is built and ready to start serving buses at the end of July.  Buses will circle around the cafe in the low grey building and stop in the saw tooth bays.  It's good to see the signage and a route map already in place, in advance of its opening.  

This new facility should take some of the pressure off the busy roadside stops at Liskeard's post office, when more than one bus needing to stop can cause delays to traffic.

Liskeard has never had a dedicated bus station before, although there was a plan in the 1940s by Western National for a small bus station behind the old Barclays Bank building, but it was never built.

Its always good to see such investment in public transport infrastructure!

Bus Stops and Timetables

Over the last few days more new service changes for September have trickled through

First South West Ltd

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0004983.202	900	Fraddon	Truro	01-Sep-2024	timetable vary
PH0004983.407	950	Boscastle	Wadebridge	01-Sep-2024	Revised timetable
PH0004983.427	L2	Coverack	Helston	01-Sep-2024	Revised timetable - No significant changes.
PH0004983.171	U4 (U4X)	Falmouth	Penzance	01-Sep-2024	Route and timetable variation - No significant changes.

Plymouth Citybus (Go Cornwall)

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0000135.223	8	Long Rock	St Just	02-Sep-2024	Revise route for journeys serving Cape Cornwall School & revise timetable accordingly Journeys serving Cape Cornwall School are revised to operate via Newlyn and Lamorna Turn.
PH0000135.161	12 12A 178	Plymouth	Bude	01-Sep-2024	Revise times for Budehaven School and add 178 No significant changes other than to address reliability at peak times and accommodate revised timings at Budehaven School. 178 Route revised to start from Bude.  A revised timetable will be introduced.
PH0000135.275	15	Hayle	Penzance	02-Sep-2024	REvise route of journeys serving Hayle Academy & revise timetable accordingly TFC: No significant changes.
PH0000135.227	21	St Austell	Newquay	01-Sep-2024	Journeys serving school in St Austell operate via Whitemoor. Route and timetable adjusted accordingly
PH0000135.228	22	St Austell	Truro	01-Sep-2024	Significant timing changes at school times to accommodate revised session times at Brannel School.
PH0000135.230	25 24S	Newquay	Fowey	02-Sep-2024	The timetable generally revised by 5 minutes later to remove the potential of buses arriving at Middleway Level Crossing when the crossing is in operation.  Some more significant timing changes at school times to accommodate revised session times at Brannel School and provide a new link to Penrice School from St Stephen.
PH0000135.351	25	Newquay	Fowey	02-Sep-2024	The timetable generally revised by 5 minutes later to remove the potential of buses arriving at Middleway Level Crossing when the crossing is in operation.  Some more significant timing changes at school times to accommodate revised session times at Brannel School and provide a new link to Penrice School from St Stephen.
PH0000135.246	56	Padstow	Newquay	01-Sep-2024	No significant changes to Monday to Fridays. Saturday timetable returns to winter operation (reduced provision between Trevarian and Padstow)

Stagecoach Devon Ltd

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1020951.433	21	Barnstaple	Bideford / Ilfracombe	02-Sep-2024	Addition of 00:00 Barnstaple to Bideford journey to replace 00:05 journey withdrawn for the winter season for the last day of operation on 7th September
PH1020951.326	87 (87A)	Tavistock	Bere Alston	01-Sep-2024	To amend the route Inbound ONLY at Gulworthy due to safety concerns on the A390 junction
PH1020951.383	301	Combe Martin	Barnstaple	01-Sep-2024	Addition of a 14:50 Friday School terms only journey from Ilfracombe academy to Combe Martin to match to align with Academy Friday end of day. Minor timetable changes to improve the reliability and punctuality of buses, including providing more robust connections with rail services at Barnstaple Railway Station. To provide additional capacity for students travelling to and from Ilfracombe Academy, the majority of journeys will be operated by double decker buses. To facilitate the earlier finish time at Ilfracombe Academy on a Friday an additional journey will operate on schooldays between Ilfracombe Academy and Combe Martin at 1450.
PH1020951.313	663S	Chulmleigh Health Centre	South Molton CC, NE-bound	01-Sep-2024	Change of terminus from Chulmleigh Leigh Cross to Chulmleigh Health Centre
PH1020951.074	B (21B 21C)	Science Park	Exminster	01-Sep-2024	The Monday to Friday peak daytime frequency will be increased to every 20 minutes, providing an additional journey opportunity each hour. Buses will now operate via Matford Park Road to avoid peak time congestion and no longer serve Hennock Road East, Silverton Road and Matford Way. The new timetable has been designed to offer better coordinated frequencies in both Marsh Barton (see below) and Whipton, where a 10 minute Monday to Friday (15 minute Saturday) frequency is offered in conjunction with Services I/J. SERVICE B - 21B/21C LOOKS LIKE AN ERROR ON THE REGISTRATION?
PH1020951.060	I (J)	Digby or Whipton Barton	Countess Wear, Digby	01-Sep-2024	Monday to Friday daytime frequency between approximately 0700 and 1700 will be increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes on both Services I and J, providing an additional journey opportunity each hour. The new timetable has been designed to offer a better coordinated frequency with Service B in Whipton, with buses operating up to every 10 minutes. Off peak journeys around Digby Drive, Clyst Halt Avenue and Russell Way on Monday to Saturday will be removed due to low passenger demand. Evening departures are revised to ensure better co-ordination with other services over common sections of route.

Derriford Hospital Bus Stops

New, more modern bus shelters will soon be installed at Derriford Hospital. The new shelters will have better lighting, improved seating and repositioned ‘real-time’ displays to make it easier for passengers to view information about the next services to arrive. Work will get under way on Monday 12 August and will be carried out in phases over four weeks. All buses will continue to serve the hospital but passengers will temporarily need to use a different stop in front of the hospital while their usual shelter is being replaced. Some buses will need to operate through the interchange in the opposite direction to their usual route while departing from their temporary stop.

It will be interesting to see what the new bus stops will be like, especially the claim to have better seats. The newly installed bus stop at the bottom of Keswick might be a nicer shelter but the seating is definitely a step down from what it was. More on that later in the week hopefully

Click here for the bus stop allocation while the works are in progress

Permanent stops from Sunday 8 September

There are seven shelters at Derriford Hospital but only six are currently used. These six will be replaced in time for when the schools reopen for the autumn term and the seventh will be replaced and brought back into use from Sunday 8 September, meaning some services will operate from a different stand.

• Stand 1
  1 (City Centre)
  1A (Sherford)
  42, 42A, 42B, 42C (City Centre)
• Stand 2
  14 (City Centre)
  28 (City Centre)
  34 (City Centre)
• Stand 3
  51 (City Centre via St Budeaux)
  71 (Saltash)
• Stand 4
  50 (City centre via Marsh Mills) 
• Stand 5
  42 (Southway)
  42A,
  42B (Tamerton Foliot)
  52 (Plympton)
• Stand 6
  1 (Tavistock)
  1A (George Park and Ride)
  34 (George Park and Ride)
  42C (Woolwell)
• Stand 7
  14 (Upland Drive)
  27 (City centre via Mainstone)
  28 (George Park and Ride)
  59 (George Park and Ride/Peverell)

Getting better for fewer passengers

Catching up in news stories from the last few weeks

Improvements to Plymouth’s bus network will see better lighting and waiting facilities at bus stops. It is all part of plans to make the bus network across the city more desirable. The latest Bus Improvement Plan aims to deliver bus services that 'people need, can be proud of and enjoy using'. The vision is to create a thriving bus network with services that are frequent, reliable, fast, affordable, safe and clean, which will also help Plymouth to achieve its net zero goals by 2030

And as part of the plan, commitments to make buses a safer place for passengers are being made. It comes as the VAWG Commission also found that only 13 per cent of respondents felt very or fairly safe when out after dark. The Commission also heard evidence that women did not feel safe at bus stops and walking between locations and bus stops in the dark, “in terms of safety at night, it is often impossible to book a taxi home. Public transport cannot be relied on either”.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-women-do-not-feel-8748665

Compare it to this news article back in March 2022

Plymouth City Council is set to remove 211 bus shelters from the city's streets as part of a cost cutting exercise - but Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has criticised the move, saying women and girls 'must feel safe while waiting for a bus'. Mr Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport raised the issue in Parliament on Thursday asked the Transport Minister if they agree with him that Plymouth's council 'must stop and consider the impact this will have on people waiting for a bus'.

In a statement issued following a request by PlymouthLive, Plymouth City Council has explained that as of next week the process for removing 211 bus shelters will begin. They note that the shelters "are not owned by the Council" but it does have a contract with the current operator that maintains and cleans them to an agreed standard.

The contract was due to expire in 2020 and a retendering exercise began in 2019. It had to be delayed due to Covid-19 so the contract with the existing operator was extended to September 2022.

The council has confirmed that the bus shelter removal programme will get underway from Tuesday March 22. It will see the number of shelters reduced from 626 to 415.

Cllr Jonathan Drean, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "The decision to remove shelters has not been made lightly. In an ideal world most of them would be retained but unfortunately the associated costs mean this is not a viable option for potential shelter providers and I am not prepared for those costs to fall on local council tax payers.

"Every shelter that is being removed but is still served by a bus will be replaced with a stop, so there will be no loss of boarding opportunities for the travelling public. This means passengers can still catch their bus from the same location as they always have.

"Unfortunately, if we are to provide and maintain new, high quality shelters for bus passengers at as many sites as possible, we need to reduce the total number. It was known that this would mean a loss of around a third of shelters back in 2019.

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/plymouth-remove-more-200-bus-6829299

So end result – better safer bus stops – for fewer people.

Meanwhile at the top of Keswick Crescent we now have this

Not a place where you want to be standing in the wind and the rain

Green Bus Stops and Fares Cap Extended

I will be posting final details of next weekend timetable changes later in the week as quite a few of the new timetables have yet to appear on Traveline. So just a few bits of pieces tonight…

Green Bus Stops

LIVING-ROOFED bus shelters are making a scheduled stop in Tavistock.

The town council, in partnership with Launceston firm Fernbank Advertising, is providing the new shelters with mini-gardens on top this month.

The shelters have started appearing in the town centre and their roofs will be planted in the next few weeks.

The roofs will be planted with sedums, lit by solar power and use a dusk-til-dawn light sensor. Sedums are tolerant of dry windswept conditions in shallow soils. Environmental gardeners have already welcomed the garden roof as yet another ‘green’ initiative to support the council’s policy of sustainability and environmental commitment. The idea is for the gardens in the sky to help capture carbon emissions from traffic, encourage insect life and reduce run-off and flooding.

Tavistock Today

Bus Fare Cap Extended

Bus passengers in England will be able to keep travelling for £2 after the government extended funding by another £500m, easing fears about a further decline in local services.

The fare cap on most local buses, brought in as a temporary measure last year to boost patronage, will be extended until the end of October and then for another 13 months at £2.50 for a single journey, in a move that the Department for Transport said would support people with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector.

Bus operators, who had warned that up to 15% of routes could be lost when existing funding was due to run out at the end of June, welcomed the news but said it would not be enough to save every service.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures.

“Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments. That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people on to the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.”

Guardian

Mayflower Street Improvements

Planned improvements to bus facilities in the city centre look set to start next week.

New bus shelters will be installed at the bus stops on Mayflower Street, which will be widened to improve traffic flow.

More space is going to be created for the buses to use. The scheme will see:

• A new bus stopping area with extra space to drop off passengers
• There are currently two bus stops and one shelter. The new scheme will have two bus shelters and bus stops with space for three buses
• Kerb adjusted to widen the road so that buses and cars can pass by when other buses have stopped
• Street furniture removed if surplus and relocated where necessary
• Disabled bay relocated – with details to be confirmed later
• Eight car parking spaces removed.

The work is being carried out to create more bus stops in the city centre ahead of major changes to the layout of Royal Parade. Some bus services – yet to be decided – will be moved to Mayflower Street permanently rather than Royal Parade to create more space and cut congestion on Royal Parade. It should also help improve air quality as fewer buses will be queuing for space.

These improvements are funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund which is costing £615,000.

Traffic orders have been submitted for when the work is carried out as well as changes to traffic management after the work.

The enabling works get underway from Tuesday 1 November to 11 November and will see trenching for Western Power electricity diversions under two-way traffic lights. Four car parking spaces will be removed and the disabled parking space relocated to the end of the remaining parking spaces opposite The Early Bird.The work will be carried out in five phases

Councillor Jonathan Drean, Cabinet Member for Transport said: “We are talking to the City Centre Company, businesses – including the Copthorne Hotel – about the plans and hope to work with them on any issues they raise.

“Plymouth has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030 so we need to encourage more people to get out of their cars and use public transport when travelling to and from the city centre. This work once complete will help alleviate congestion on Royal Parade as well as emissions build up as fewer buses will be using the bays on Royal Parade.

“We recognise that all these changes are coming in a relatively short period of time. Much of the timing is beyond our control – we’ve had a combination of the pandemic, supply issues and tight government funding time tables which means we have to do a lot of projects in the next six months or so. These changes will be worth it.”

Full article: https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/improvements-bus-facilities-mayflower-street

Library copy

Plymouth Citybus are diverting a few of their services:

SWH will be undertaking essential highway improvement works on Mayflower Street and surrounding junctions, on behalf of Plymouth City Council. The Mayflower Street Improvement Scheme will commence on Tuesday 1st November 2022 with a provisional completion date of Friday 19th May 2023.

During these works, there will be a number of diversions in place, as follows:

Bus services towards the City Centre from North Hill and Charles Street will operate via Cobourg Street, North Cross and Western Approach.

Passengers will be able to use the bus stop on Cobourg Street (closest) or at the other end of Mayflower Street as alternative stops.

Service 61 heading towards Mayflower Street/City Centre from Pennycomequick/Saltash Road Rail Station will operate via North Cross Roundabout and Western Approach to Royal Parade.

©Jos Van Hemert

Mayflower Street 1988!

Cornwall Good news with an old photo

Cornwall in going against the grain here:

Older people, and those of any age with a disability, who qualify for a concessionary bus pass will be able to travel for free at any time on Cornwall’s buses from 01 April.

Up until now, people who qualify for a bus pass under the English National Concessionary Fares Travel Scheme have been able to travel on Cornwall’s public  buses for free after 9.30am on Mondays to Fridays and at any time on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.  Now, Cornwall Council has decided to extend the scheme so that concessionary bus pass holders can travel on public buses at any time and will no longer have to wait until 9.30am to travel for free.

Cornwall Council Cabinet portfolio holder for transport, Geoff Brown said: “We have listened to residents who hold these bus passes.  They have told us that having to wait until 9.30am to be able to travel for free on the bus means that they can’t travel to early appointments.  In the case of disabled concessionary bus pass holders in particular, they have told us that under the current arrangements, they can’t use their pass early enough so they either have to pay or make alternative arrangements to travel to adult training and day centres.”

Geoff adds:  “We want to encourage people to use public transport and here is a practical way the Council can help people who have a concessionary bus pass to do just that at no cost to them.”

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news-room/media-releases/news-from-2019/news-from-march-2019/have-a-concessionary-bus-pass-you-can-travel-at-any-time-on-cornwall-s-buses-from-01-april/

and the good news continues

Residents in South East Cornwall are set to benefit from a successful bid to the government’s Transforming Cities Fund to improve transport links, with a particular emphasis on sustainable transport.  Cornwall Council joined forces with Plymouth City Council and Saltash Town Council to support and develop a bid for funding to improve the wider Plymouth travel to work area which includes South East Cornwall

The successful funding bid means that South East Cornwall is set to see a £320,000 investment in transport infrastructure to improve key bus corridors in the Saltash, Torpoint, Rame Peninsula and Liskeard areas. Improvements will include new bus shelters, timetable cases and the installation of digital real time passenger information (RTPI) signs at key locations. 

Another £516,000 has also been received to deliver walking and cycling improvements in Saltash to provide key connections to Plymouth, support economic and housing growth and manage increased travel demand.

The joint bid sees a total of £7.6 million for a number of sustainable transport initiatives in Plymouth.  In Cornwall, a share of the funding will go to improve cycling, walking and public transport links between Cornwall and Plymouth. 

Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport Geoff Brown said: “Improving sustainable transport connections in Cornwall and into Devon is so important for our residents.  This funding will help us deliver work being carried out on this Council’s One Public Transport System for Cornwall (OPTSfC) Project which aims to deliver an integrated and customer focused transport network under the Cornwall Devolution Deal.” 

Cornwall Council is now working closely with Plymouth City Council in preparing a bid for the second round of funding.

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news-room/media-releases/news-from-2019/news-from-march-2019/south-east-cornwall-set-to-benefit-from-transport-funding-boost/

This last story was such good news that the council tweeted:

Clearly whoever was in charge of this post hasn't actually used a bus in Cornwall for some time! (this photo was one of mine from  June 2009! https://flic.kr/p/6DfvRz)

Barbican Coach Improvements

More welcome investment in coach facilities in Plymouth:

Coach companies arriving at The Barbican will have easier access, thanks to improvement work due to start this week. Plymouth City Council has contracted South West Highways to start work on improvements to the facilities offered to coach services at this popular location.

Stage one to extend the bus stop near the Mayflower Steps, creating a new larger coach drop off area was completed earlier in the year. Now the existing Lambhay Hill coach parking triangle is to be reconfigured to allow three standalone coach parking bays.

The new ‘pay and display’ bays for coaches will allow coaches a maximum of two hours parking, ensuring coach space rotation, which, in turn, helps maximise the number of coaches able to use the spaces and bring more visitors to the waterfront and business to local traders.

The project includes some excavation and reconstruction of the highway in areas which need repair. It is estimated that the work will take up to six weeks.

Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council and cabinet member for Strategic Housing, Transport and Planning, said:

“Many visitor coaches want to go straight to the Barbican to enjoy its shops, cobbled streets and pubs. We’ve worked closely with the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the coach industry representative body, on these changes and hope the new facilities will bring more here and keep the cash tills ringing.”

Sarah Gibson, Waterfront Manager and Chief Executive of the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said: “Businesses across the Waterfront rely upon visiting coaches and the additional footfall they generate. We welcome the Council’s investment to provide additional provision for coaches in this area. From this location visitors can access the delights of The Barbican, Sutton Harbour and The Hoe on foot or Mount Batten, the Royal William Yard and South East Cornwall by ferry waterlinks.”

 

 

 

 

 

New Stops Start

The new bus stop arrangement at Derriford Hospital finally come into use today - Monday 16th January. The full allocation of services to bus stops as as follows:

I am sure the first day or so will be fun, with passengers not knowing where to go, and I am sure a few drivers forgetting which way to come in to the hospital to begin with at least!

At least it should stop scenes like this happening back in 2008 where a single broken down bus effectively closed everything down!

Saltash Hopper

Saltash Community Bus Service (Saltash Hopper) are running a trial bus service from Saltash to Derriford four times a day from Monday 9^th January to Friday 13^th January.

Buses will operate from Pilmere, then the Ploughboy, Fire Station, Church Rd, St Stephens Rd and on to Fore St outside the Community Market at 6.45am, 7.45am then 3.45pm and 4.45pm. Return runs available from Derriford at 7.05am and 08.15am then 4.15pm and 5.15pm.

Seats should be booked in advance as space is limited. Tel 01752 848 348 or 07905 795256, or call in to the Community Market at 4 Fore Street (Wed- Sat)

They drop off and pick up at the Main entrance and outside of Maternity.

This week it is free and they will start a paying service  from Mon 15/1/17

They will tweak  and add more runs  as the service develops. Please help them to promote this service by using it and sharing it with your colleagues. There are details on Facebook (Saltash Hopper) and the contact number for Mike Finch at Saltash Hopper is 07905 795256.

This service is aimed at staff living in Saltash and working at Derriford. Lets hope its a success.

More information can be found on their web site

---

Sticking with Derriford news staff have been informed that the new bus stops come into full use next week…

I have now received confirmation that the bus operators will start using the new bus lane (running in the opposite direction to the original lane) from Sunday 15th January. Temporary signs will be in place to warn pedestrians to ‘look both ways’ etc and the public transport team are working on some information to go on the shelters so that people know where they should be going. Please can all bus users check with their operators to make sure they know which bus stops they are meant to be using from Sunday 15^th January.

Please remember that both bus lanes are for buses and cyclists only and that no other vehicles are allowed to use these lanes.

Back on the 15th November 2016 the new shelters were being installed

Now all ready to go

I can see a fair bit of confusion at first, but look forward to the buses actually being able to get to their own stops more often than has been the case for some time now…

What a difference at Derriford

 

25th May 2016

7th November 2016

Most of the work has now been completed. The new drop off zone the right has opened this week. Where the ambulances can be seen on the left are the new bus stops which will soon be used by buses heading in the opposite direction. Since this photo was taken work has started on the new shelters. You can see how busy these stops get, so the sooner the new stops open up the better.

Derriford Developments

The major road works at the front of Derriford Hospital have continued for several months remodelling the road layout and providing more bus stops. The first few photos were taken back on the 17th July where the new bus road was more or less complete and the final road surface was being laid, giving a good idea of the new layout…

The three original shelters have been installed at the bus stops. The new bus stops on the left hand side can be seen here which will take buses heading back up towards The George (via the new Airport Link Road) and also the 50 etc out towards Estover. The temporary arrangements that have been in place for the last few months were less than ideal. The lack of space and awkward layout meant buses were often queued up behind each other. It was difficult to get the buses close to the kerb for easy wheelchair access and there were no shelters for passengers.  The pavement at the front of the hospital was very narrow which meant that the electric golf cart in use for the less mobile which can be seen just behind Citaro 84 had to fight its way through crowds of people waiting for the buses. All of this has now changed for the better…

Taken this week, we see the new road in use with its nice new bus stop layout. Its still a temporary layout as buses are still only one way so just the stops here on the right are in use. At the moment this is still quite a bit less space than the old road layout so buses are still bunched up and double parked but there is generally plenty of room for this to happen at the moment. The old road to the right of the new stops is now being ripped up and a new layout put in place. Once this is ready then the full scheme with buses in both directions will take effect. The lack of any shelters on the left will be noted and is hopefully going to be sorted shortly.

Derriford Developments

 

Work to upgrade Plymouth’s second busiest bus interchange will get under way this week.

The Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme, which has been developed in partnership with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, will convert the existing one-way bus link through the hospital to allow buses to travel in both directions. It will also create separate taxi and passenger drop-off points and provide three additional bus stops.

As well as reducing congestion outside the main entrance and making bus journeys to and from the hospital quicker and more reliable, the scheme will provide better waiting areas for bus and taxi passengers and those getting dropped off or picked up by car.

It is estimated to cost just over £2 million, with £1.4 million being provided by the Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership. The remaining funding will be provided by the Council and Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

The new interchange is part of a master plan of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city. Other schemes include the Derriford Transport Scheme which is due to start later this year, as well as the new Marjon Link Road, which opened in September 2015.

Preparations are being made this week to get the site ready for the main works, which are due to start on Monday 8 February. Construction will be carried out by the Council’s highways contractor Amey and is programmed to take nine months.

During that time access along the front of the hospital’s main entrance will be restricted to buses, Hackney Carriages and emergency vehicles.

All drop-off traffic will be re-directed to Car Park F, where facilities will be provided for anyone who needs assistance. Some sections of footpath will be closed during the works but alternative routes and crossing points will be provided.

Access for cyclists will be maintained throughout the works and all building entrances will remain open. All diversion routes will be clearly signed.

Access to Accident and Emergency will not be affected.

Disruption will be kept to a minimum but anyone travelling to Derriford Hospital is advised to plan ahead and add extra time to their journey.

Paul Barnard, the Council’s Assistant Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure, said: “The area outside Derriford Hospital is often congested, especially at peak time and this scheme should make a big difference to patients, staff and visitors.

“By providing extra space for buses and making this a two-way link we will not only improve service reliability for bus passengers, but also help to improve bus journey times and keep traffic moving along the whole northern corridor.

“The scheme will also provide much better, safer areas for people being picked up and dropped off at the hospital.”

Nick Thomas, Director of Planning and Site Services at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This scheme is an important investment in the city’s infrastructure which will benefit people visiting our hospital and ease traffic flow more generally.

“We are working closely with Plymouth City Council and other interested parties, to ensure developments on site are in the interests of our patients, visitors and staff.

“While the improvements are being carried out we realise there will be some disruption so we apologise in advance and ask everyone to be patient.”

Background

The bus interchange at Derriford Hospital is the second busiest in the city. The Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme will convert the existing one-way bus link through the hospital to allow buses to travel in both directions. It will also create separate taxi and passenger drop-off points and provide three additional bus stops.

The scheme will reduce congestion outside the main entrance and make bus journeys to and from the hospital quicker and more reliable. The waiting areas for bus and taxi passengers and those getting dropped off or picked up by car will also be improved.

The total cost of the scheme is estimated at just over £2 million. The Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) – the body responsible for allocating funding for large-scale transport schemes across Plymouth. Devon, Torbay and Somerset – has recognised the regional importance of the scheme and has awarded £1.4 million towards delivery from its Growth Fund. The remaining funding will be provided by the Council and Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme is part of a master plan of highway improvements that will help to unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city.Other schemes include the Derriford Transport Scheme which is due to start later this year, as well as the new Marjon Link Road, which opened in September 2015.

Planning Permission

Planning permission for the Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme was granted in January 2016. The application number is 15/02189/FUL and all of the documents can be viewed on the planning online page.

Traffic Management

The works will involve a complicated traffic management plan which will ultimately mean that only Buses and Ambulances will be allowed to travel passed the main entrance during these works, all other traffic will be stopped.   Below is a summary of what the traffic management arrangements will mean for staff, patients and visitors.

· Only Buses, Emergency Vehicles and Patient Transport will be allowed to drive passed the main entrance for 9 months.  The contractor will have a manned barrier in operation preventing access to all but authorised vehicles.

· All drop off and pick up for the main entrance will be via Car Park F (new car park next to main outpatients).  Car Park F offers free parking for the first hour.

· A temporary welcome and mobility centre will be located in car park F.  This will consist of a manned port-a-cabin, welcome area with seating etc where members of the public can wait to be collected.  In addition patients and visitors can wait here while relatives park the car and return to escort them into the Hospital.  Alternatively patients or visitors with limited mobility can wait here to be given a lift via a mobility (golf type) buggy to and from the main entrance, if they feel it is too far to walk.  This will be a free courtesy service for the duration of the works.

· There will be no motorcycle parking outside the main entrance during these works.  Motorcycle parking is available in two marked areas within car park F as well as car park B, C, MSCP and near Maternity.

· Car Park public A has been reversed.  Access is now via the mini roundabout off Derriford Road.  When cars exit A they will only be able to turn left back out onto Derriford Road and not use car park A to cut through the site.

· Staff Car Parks C & D - Staff who leave via staff car park C will have to exit the site via the Marjons traffic lights.  Staff who leave via car park D will have the option of leaving via Morlaix Drive or the mini roundabout.  Staff will not be able to drive in front of the main entrance to get from one side of the site to the other.  Staff who exit the MSCP or NWQ will be unaffected.

· Patients who drop off/collect specimens, commodes etc from the main entrance will have to park in car park F and walk to the main entrance. 

· Buses will drop off in the current location outside Plym.  However the current bus stops will be closed.  Instead temporary bus stops will be in position nearer to the Hospital building.

· During all works pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

· New signage will be place both on Derriford Road and on site to direct patients and visitors.

As with any chnage in traffic management at or near Derriford Hospital the first few days at least are likely to be chaotic so expect delays. If you can avoid the ear then do so - sadly not an option for those who work there!