A tender moment

We have got used to Stagecoach hoovering up a lot of tendered work over the last few years so a bit of a surprise to see they have lost some work. No mention yet of who has picked up the work though, I am sure it wont be long before we find out…

Tender Changes from 4 January 2026

Following a recent tender round by Devon County Council, a number of services will transfer to new operators from 4 January 2026 and will therefore no longer be operated by Stagecoach South West.

Barnstaple Depot
• Services 660/663S/855/856/859 – South Molton Town Services

Exeter Depot
• Service 6A – Exeter to Okehampton (majority of journeys)
• Service 96 – Exmouth Town Service
• Service 97 – Exmouth Town Service
• Service 173 – Exeter to Chagford and Moretonhampstead
• Service 348/349 – Tiverton Town Service
• Service 352/352 – Tiverton Town Service
• Service 360 – Exeter to Bridford and Christow
• Service 369 – Exeter to Morchard Bishop and Witheridge

Plymouth Depot
• Service 6A/6B – Exeter to Okehampton / Tavistock to Okehampton

While it can be disappointing when services transfer to other operators, these changes will benefit the business in a number of ways.

The loss of these services is no reflection of our delivery of these services, some of which we have operated for a number of years.

As a result of these changes, there will be some changes to duties and rosters at Exeter Depot from 4 January 2026, with minimal changes at Barnstaple and Plymouth Depots.

We will be communicating these changes, as well as a small number of other services changes to our customers over the coming weeks.

Devon CC Tenders changing hands this weekend etc

Sorry for the lack of postings this last week. I've been so hot and bothered after work I have just not had chance to get anything done!

So lets get back on track with the full run down of new timetables which have gone into place this weekend:

Most of the changes below are fed by Devon County Council tenders with a few routes changing hands between Stagecoach, Dartline, Countybus and Plymouth Citybus (Go Devon). As usual click though for full details with timetables etc

Alansway Coaches Ltd – Country Bus

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1017984.137	174	Teignmouth Railway Station	Torbay Hospital, Torquay	05-Jun-2023	NEW SERVICE: Monday to Saturday excluding bank holidays Every two hours We will be taking over operation of the 174 service on 5th June 2023 with a revised timetable.
PH1017984.118	366	Kenn	Exeter Bus Station	04-Jun-2023	Cancelled applications. Taken over by Dartline under Devon CC Tender
PH1017984.120	M	Exeter, Paris Street	Exeter, Cheeke Street	04-Jun-2023	Cancelled applications. Taken over by Dartline under Devon CC Tender
PH1017984.119	U	Exeter, Sidwell Street	Exeter, Union Road	04-Jun-2023	Cancelled applications. Taken over by Dartline under Devon CC Tender

Dealtop Ltd – Dartline

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0005305.013	173	Chagford Square	Exeter, Sidwell Street	03-Jun-2023	Cancellation (Taken over by Stagecoach (Devon CC) Sometimes good things come to an end, and that is certainly the case today for 3 service runs we have held for a long time.  So today we say goodbye to the 173 Exeter to Chagford and Moretonhampstead; the 174/184 Newton Abbot runaround and ED7 the Exmouth town shopper. Over the years lots of our fabulous team have covered these routes, the 173 with its patience testing section from Crockernwell to Sandy Park,  not to mention Chagford Square; the 174 with Newton Abbot gridlocked and race days being ‘something else’ and then ED7, where you chase time all day and bin day is carnage.
PH0005305.031	174 184	Newton Abbot	The Willows	03-Jun-2023	Cancellation (Taken over by Stagecoach (Devon CC) Sometimes good things come to an end, and that is certainly the case today for 3 service runs we have held for a long time.  So today we say goodbye to the 173 Exeter to Chagford and Moretonhampstead; the 174/184 Newton Abbot runaround and ED7 the Exmouth town shopper. Over the years lots of our fabulous team have covered these routes, the 173 with its patience testing section from Crockernwell to Sandy Park,  not to mention Chagford Square; the 174 with Newton Abbot gridlocked and race days being ‘something else’ and then ED7, where you chase time all day and bin day is carnage.
PH0005305.081	366	Kenn, Ley Arms	Exeter, Sidwell Street	05-Jun-2023	Monday to Saturday NEW One return journey. Taken over from Country Bus (Devon CC)
PH0005305.084	M	Exeter, Paris Street	Exeter, Paris Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW Monday to Saturday. Taken over from Country Bus (Devon CC)
PH0005305.083	U	Exeter, Paris Street	Exeter, Paris Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW Monday to Saturday. Taken over from Country Bus (Devon CC)

Plymouth Citybus Ltd – Go Devon

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0000135.319	315	North Tawton	Bideford	05-Jun-2023	Cancel From Monday 5th June, services 315, 345 and 377 will be replaced by services 5B, 5A and 5C, operated by Stagecoach. All the services have new timetables and will operate to/from the Bus Station in Exeter, instead of Sidwell Street.
PH0000135.320	315	Bideford	Barnstaple	05-Jun-2023	Cancel From Monday 5th June, services 315, 345 and 377 will be replaced by services 5B, 5A and 5C, operated by Stagecoach. All the services have new timetables and will operate to/from the Bus Station in Exeter, instead of Sidwell Street.
PH0000135.324	315	Exeter	Chulmleigh	05-Jun-2023	Cancel From Monday 5th June, services 315, 345 and 377 will be replaced by services 5B, 5A and 5C, operated by Stagecoach. All the services have new timetables and will operate to/from the Bus Station in Exeter, instead of Sidwell Street.
PH0000135.321	345	Okehampton	North Tawton	05-Jun-2023	Cancel From Monday 5th June, services 315, 345 and 377 will be replaced by services 5B, 5A and 5C, operated by Stagecoach. All the services have new timetables and will operate to/from the Bus Station in Exeter, instead of Sidwell Street.
PH0000135.322	377	Bishops Tawton	Morchard Bishop	05-Jun-2023	Cancel From Monday 5th June, services 315, 345 and 377 will be replaced by services 5B, 5A and 5C, operated by Stagecoach. All the services have new timetables and will operate to/from the Bus Station in Exeter, instead of Sidwell Street.

Stagecoach Devon Ltd

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1020951.034	5 5C	Exeter Bus Station	Crediton / Chulmleigh	04-Jun-2023	The current operator of Services 315, 345 and 377 linking Exeter with Barnstaple, Okehampton and Chumleigh, has notified Devon County Council that they no longer wish to operate these services. Working in partnership with Devon County Council, Stagecoach South West will provide replacement services, which will start from Monday 5 June 2023.Hatherleigh and Okehampton will be served by the extension of existing Service 5 journeys between Exeter and Crediton, which will operate roughly every two hours. These journeys will be known as Service 5A.
PH1020951.395	5A	Crediton	Okehampton	04-Jun-2023	The current operator of Services 315, 345 and 377 linking Exeter with Barnstaple, Okehampton and Chumleigh, has notified Devon County Council that they no longer wish to operate these services. Working in partnership with Devon County Council, Stagecoach South West will provide replacement services, which will start from Monday 5 June 2023.Hatherleigh and Okehampton will be served by the extension of existing Service 5 journeys between Exeter and Crediton, which will operate roughly every two hours. These journeys will be known as Service 5A.
PH1020951.397	5B	Great Torrington Church	Barnstaple Bus Station	04-Jun-2023	Monday to Saturday. Revised timetable
PH1020951.399	5B	Crediton	Great Torrington	04-Jun-2023	Monday to Saturday. Revised timetable
PH1020951.185	6A	Okehampton	Exeter	04-Jun-2023	Timetable variation - additional trips added
PH1020951.390	97	Brixington, Anson Road	Withycombe Raleigh, Heard Avenue	04-Jun-2023	NEW service Monday - Saturday Service 97 (currently numbered Service 7) within Exmouth will operate up to every 60 minutes Monday to Friday daytime and Saturday morning, with the service serving Masey Road and The Marles.
PH1020951.389	173	Moretonhampstead, Court Street Car Park	Exeter, Sidwell Street	04-Jun-2023	NEW: Monday to Saturday. Taken over from Dartline (Devon CC) Service 173 between Exeter and Moretonhampstead via Tedburn St Mary and Chagford,  providing up to five journeys per day Monday to Saturday.
PH1020951.358	EB	Exeter University, Perry Road	Shobrooke Park	03-Jun-2023	To operate a shuttle service when the Enchanted Ball is held each year. One day annual event.

And finally a couple of other changes outside of the Devon CC batch:

NC Eastwood – Royal Buses

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1086607.019	44	St Ives, Royal Square	Trevalgan Touring Park	03-Jun-2023	Seasonal Timetable variation

First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd – First Wessex

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0006159.414	X53 X51	Bridport Coach Station	Axminster Rail Station	04-Jun-2023	Revised timetable for summer 2023 Service X51 will continue to operate every two hours between Weymouth, Dorchester, Bridport and Axminster. Service X52 which will be open top will operate every 2 hours between Weymouth, West Bay and Bridport. Service X53 will continue to operate every 2 hours between Weymouth, West Bay, Bridport and Axminster. Overall, this will allow an increased level of service on Sundays, and an hourly frequency between Weymouth, West Bay and Bridport.

Although it looks like the hot weather will continue for a while yet, I hope to get some more posts out this week..

Bigbury Bus Blues

Back in January Tally Ho! Coaches announced they were giving up a few of their services due to lack of drivers:

Devon County Council have been responding to the news that Tally Ho are giving up four bus routes as a result of their inability to find enough drivers.

The routes are SH160 is the Kingsbridge town service and the SH162 runs between Kingsbridge, Loddiswell, Thurlestone and Hope Cove, the SH612 Mothecombe to Lee Mill Tesco (Tuesdays only) and the SH875 Bigbury to Plymouth bus station (Fridays only). A spokesperson for Devon County Council told us: “We can confirm that Tally Ho has handed back two contracts for four subsidised bus services (services which they currently support financially) with effect from March 31 2023. https://www.kingsbridge-today.co.uk/news/possible-timetable-changes-to-bus-routes-affected-by-non-renewal-of-contracts-589032

This was then followed up by the BBC a few days ago…

Users of a discontinued bus service between a village and a city have criticised it being shelved.

The weekly 875 from Bigbury on Sea to Plymouth was operated by Tally Ho for Devon County Council until Friday, but the company has handed back the contract, blaming a lack of drivers. Former passengers said the 20-mile (35km) link had been lifeline. The council said it had not been able to find another operator, but had put in place some alternatives.

Tally Ho said it had "advertised extensively" for drivers for a year but it had "not been able to solve the problem". It said: "In recent months, the pressures have become intolerable and we simply cannot continue. There is no other reason for our decision." Devon County Council said it had not been able to find another operator, but alternatives were in place, including a taxi scheme to the town of Modbury, where passengers could travel on to Plymouth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-65147529

Tally Ho! Coaches Ltd

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1081198.003	875	Bigbury On Sea	Plymouth Royal Parade	31-Mar-2023	cancelled. Replaced by Oakleys Coaches from 7th April 2023

The replacement service is registered from tomorrow 7th April although as it runs Tuesdays only it will be next week.

Paul Simon Oakley

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1091418.010	875	Bigbury on Sea, Marine Drive	Lee Mill, Tesco	07-Apr-2023	Tuesdays only, one journey in each direction

The lack of drivers seems to be a bigger threat to rural bus services than actual funding at the moment.

Today we have a few more service changes registered:

Taw & Torridge Coaches Ltd

• A small change for 658 which sees the return journey running 40 minutes later on Tuesdays.

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH0004727.011	658	West Buckland, Opposite Village Hall	Barnstaple Bus Station	18-Apr-2023	Timetable variation

A2B Newquay Travel Ltd

• This was a flexible 24 hours 7 days a week service registered back in 2011, with no changes since. I suspect this may be a tidy up exercise unless it really has been running all this time?

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1088109.002	A2B Flexibus	Newquay	St Austell	06-Apr-2023	Cancellation

Stagecoach Devon Ltd

• Another cancelled service, this time an annual event registration for Devon County Show which was first registered back in 2011

Licence	Route	Start Point	End Point	Effective	Notes
PH1020951.170	59	Exmouth Bus Station	Westpoint	18-May-2023	Cancellation (was a annual event registration for Devon County Show only)

Feel free to click through for more details, although only the 657 has anything of any interest to see!

Have a Happy Easter everyone.

Next posting hopefully on Saturday