If you follow Plymouth Citybus on Twitter at the moment you will see a lot of services being unable to run due to “operational difficulties” – almost certainly down to staff shortages which is a problem facing a lot of companies at the moment, with transport particularly hard hit. They are actively recruiting for new drivers if anyone is interested… Although if you are a driver looking for work at the moment there are a lot of companies after your services!
Its not just Citybus of course as First Kernow have had to suspend operation on a few of its services:
We’re sorry to advise that due to the growing number of staff we have self-isolating, we are currently unable to operate our full timetables.
In order to provide certainty, we taken the decision to suspend our DayTripper and S1/2/3 routes on a temporary basis after Saturday 10th July.
We are hopeful that we will be able to restart these from 26 July 2021 and will update the situation prior to that date.
Please kindly keep an eye on our social media channels and website for current information and updates. Thank you all in advance for your patience and support during what is a challenging time for us all, it is appreciated and we hope to be back up and running again soon.
Meanwhile down in Cornwall one service which is still running is the Falmouth Coaster, although not everyone is so happy about it…
FALMOUTH's deputy mayor has made a complaint about the 'massive' open top tourist bus going through the town's pedestrianised zone.
Falmouth Packet
Cllr Coun Kirstie Edwards has complained both to the Department of Transport and to First Bus about the tourist bus that ploughs the town on an hourly basis.
The Falmouth Coaster open top bus tour, operated by First South West, follows a scenic route around Falmouth taking in the waterside, Pendennis Castle, Falmouth itself and the National Maritime Museum on route. The bus is hourly. Last month members of Falmouth Town council complained that the service was making a mockery of the pedestrianisation trial, and was 'literally' driving a bus through it. Cllr Edwards says she made the complaint as a resident about the massive bus constantly going through town.
"Many of us in council have attempted to find out why the huge double decker bus is allowed to go through town during pedestrian only times.
"It makes little sense that just because the small hopper bus is allowed to do it, the massive bus can also.
"In the last two days I’ve had endless people complaining about it, seen the dangers for myself as people, pushchairs and wheelchairs are crushed together as it passes, particularly near the grapes where the bollard is.
"It’s madness in non-Covid times, but in a busy packed Falmouth town centre, with Covid on the rise, it’s downright dangerous. I’ve also had reports of cameras and hanging baskets getting damaged from business.
"It is well outside my/ our remit to do much about it, but we can all moan at the people miles away that made this decision in the hope that it will be overturned."
She is urging other people who have been upset by it to complain themselves if they have been effected by it.
"I enjoy the circular open top with my kids and have done for years, but there is just no need to send it through town- the old route from the park and ride along the marina road into the Prince Of Wales pier and up Killigrew and around to the Dell area worked very well, with plenty of sights to see before it hit the sea front.
So if it’s bugging you as much as it’s bugging me, spend a few minutes having a jolly good moan at the people that think they know best about OUR town."
A spokesman for First South West said: “The Falmouth Coaster is registered through the statutory process in compliance with Cornwall Council’s traffic regulation orders and follows the same route taken through the town by Transport for Cornwall services.
"It’s already proved extremely popular with visitors and local residents alike and we are delighted to be able to bring an additional service to help the local economy recover from the effects of the pandemic.”
You can make contact to complain at:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/make-a-complaint/
You can also contact first bus at
https://www.firstbus.co.uk/cornwall/help-and-support
You would think after a difficult couple of years most business would welcome the open top service and the additional customers if would bring to the area. I would describe the buses in use as being massive either, and as the operator comments – it serves the same route as other TFC services in the town.
