Quackers

CCTV once again comes to the rescue of a bus driver in this news story from Cornwall...

A BUS company boss has defended the driver of a double-decker bus who ran over a mother duck and one of her nine babies on a Newquay road.

Managing director of Western Greyhound Mark Howarth was saddened to learn about the deaths, but said the driver acted within the law. He spoke out after an animal-lover criticised the lack of punishment given to a bus driver involved in the incident last Tuesday morning.

Anne-Marie Bradshaw told of her horror at witnessing an explosion of feathers as the mother duck disappeared beneath the wheels of the double-decker

 

She said Western Greyhound's decision not to punish the driver was ridiculous. "The driver had plenty of time to move out the way, but chose to drive over some of them instead. "I was shocked. My family and friends are shocked. Yet Western Greyhound decides not to punish. It's ridiculous.

Mr Howarth said they had investigated the incident and concluded that the driver could not have avoided striking the ducks.

He said: "The law states that bus drivers must ensure the comfort and safety of passengers is not compromised. "We have closed circuit television at the front and rear of our buses and could see it was raining, which made the road slippery, and the ducks just ran out in front of the bus. "We do not feel the driver has done anything wrong as passenger safety is our main concern." This is Cornwall

I particularly like the first tongue in cheek (I hope!) comment on this story which I feel sums everything up nicely

The action of the Bus Driver was wrong,the poor mother and her ducklings,he should have swerved to miss them,the fact that the bus may have overturned,or hit a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction,possibly killing several people is not important,the ducks would have been saved.

From www.thisiscornwall.co.uk (share this quote)

Someone has also helpfully provided a recipe for duck!

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PTOTPA: Update on the buses found at the Side of the depot
A Transport of delight: wonders what will happen to Train Fares 2011
Omnibuses: do train drivers deserve their Pay rewards ?
PTOTPA: Plant pots
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Transport of delight: an epic...European Jaunt part 1

Casper The Cat

His memory will live on, giving people pleasure, for a while yet

Well, its not really First bus news as such, but Casper the Cat is no longer... A MUCH-loved Barne Barton cat who made headlines around the world has died after being hit by a car. Casper the commuting cat fast became a celebrity on Plymouth buses when he used to politely queue with the other passengers, before hopping aboard to travel around the city. His owner says she’s devastated and doubts she’ll ever have a cat like Casper again. Sue Finden said: “I never dreamt I’d miss an animal as much as I miss him. He was lovely and loved people so much – he was such a different character.” She said she only found out about his death when a woman knocked on her door to tell her she’d seen Casper get hit by a car, but the driver hadn’t stopped. Casper’s journey took him from just outside his house in Poole Park Road to the final stop at Royal Parade and back, via St Budeaux Square, HMS Drake, Keyham, Devonport and Stonehouse. Mrs Finden added: “I thought it was only decent that I let the public know what had happened to him as he made so many friends and would turn up to the bus stop like clockwork.” She posted a notice at Casper’s usual bus stop in Poole Park Road, saying: “Many local people knew Casper, who loved everyone. He also enjoyed the bus journeys. “Sadly a motorist hit him... and did not stop.” “Casper died from his injuries. He will be greatly missed... he was a much loved pet who had so much character. Thank you to all those who befriended him.” Marc Reddy, Managing Director of First Devon and Cornwall, expressed the company’s sympathy for the friendly feline. He said: “We were devastated to hear that Casper had been involved in an accident; he was a regular passenger on Service 3 in Plymouth and had become very well known across the business. “On hearing the news of his death, many of the drivers expressed sympathy for him and Susan, and we contacted her to offer our collective condolences. “Casper touched many people’s lives and clearly had a very exciting life – travelling around Plymouth and who knows where else. I suspect he’s now exploring heaven and is telling all the other cats up there about the many adventures he had.” Casper was so popular that an image of him was emblazoned onto the side of a First Devon and Cornwall bus. Mr Reddy said: “Casper’s image will remain on the bus for some time to come, and we hope that seeing it around town will give Susan some comfort.” He added that Casper is also due to feature in a children’s TV programme later this year, detailing his exploits on the bus in the city. “His memory will live on, giving people pleasure, for a while yet,” he added. This is Plymouth ©AecRegent. The story of his sad departure even made The Guardian: The tale of Casper the commuting cat, who would politely queue with bus passengers before contentedly riding around Plymouth, made headlines and raised smiles around the world. Sadly the cat's love affair with the open road has proved his downfall after he was killed by a hit-and-run driver, it emerged today. As I type this there are over 100 comments to the story, although many of them are 'sick jokes' which cant exactly help the owner of Casper. She makes a comment of her own to the story: Casper was my cat, Chris my husband and I have been touched by the many wonderful reviews from around the world.Also the kind emotional email from First National and reviews from the many First bus drivers, thank you.The call from The Herald newspaper was much appreciated too. I thank the lady who knocked on my door last Thursday 14th January at 8.45am to inform me Casper had been hit by a car. She kindly returned today to enquire how Casper was. She had no idea the driver had killed him. The lady informed me who had hit him, it was a taxi company from Plymouth. She rang that company immediately to inform them one of their drivers had hit Casper. They were not interested and said it was only a cat. A sad end to a popular cat.

Further Reading PT: Keeping Casper happy at least PT: The Sun - Transforming Plymouth (Casper) PT: Plymouths newest bus Transport of Delight: Headcodes - interesting article Omnibuses; David and Goliath PTOTPA: B176VDV escapes! First on Twitter / Facebook 18 Jan 2010 nothing to see here! Citybus on Twitter / Facebook 18 Jan 2010 09:20 Due to a serious fire in Colebrook village service 12 has been diverted via Clifton Avenue in both directions It is likely to be be all day

The Sun - Transforming Plymouth

"you have to feel slightly sorry for First”

The news story of Casper the Cat has gone global! I enclose a copy of the BBC News item which features a map with what looks like a red and white Leyland Lynx bus! Compare it with The Sun's coverage who have put a lot of effort into creating a map of the journey - without any reference to the journey itself! Just look where HMS Drake is. Also you have to feel slightly sorry for First Devon and Cornwall who have such a great ‘good news’ story out there - and The Sun choose to illustrate it with a drawing of a Plymouth Citybus Enviro  on the map!

Keeping Casper Happy at least

"I don't know what the attraction is but he loves big vehicles like lorries and buses”

A news story involving First Devon and Cornwall goes national with even The Sun getting into the act: The BBC puts it: A cat has become such a well-known user of a Devon bus service that its drivers know where to let him off. Casper has been queuing with other passengers to get the number three service from his home in Plymouth for months, bus company First said. It added that he often sat in the queue and then quietly padded on board and curled up on a seat for the ride. Casper's owner Susan Finden, 55, who picked him from a rescue home in 2002, said he had always been a free spirit. Mrs Finden said she named her pet after Casper the Friendly Ghost, as he has a habit of wandering off. A spokesman for First said that drivers had been bussing Casper around for months, but Mrs Finden said she had only just found out about his use of public transport. The care worker said: "He'd always go off and have a wander. "Once I had to walk a mile-and-a-half with a cat basket to bring him back from a car park. "He does love people, and I don't know what the attraction is but he loves big vehicles like lorries and buses." A notice has been put up by First in the bus drivers' rest room in Plymouth bus station asking them to look after the rogue passenger if they spot him sneaking on board. On more usual news First has started to announce some changes to its services in August:   The Timetable for Ugobus service 7 has been revised in the afternoon between Derriford Hospital and Woolwell in order to allow additional time as a result of congestion problems around the hospital. Most journeys will now operate up to 5 minutes later from approximately 1600. Due to low customer usage the departures from the City Centre to Woolwell at 1805 and 1825 will be withdrawn. 2nd August LINK Service 17 is being withdrawn from 30th August  Following a review of passenger numbers and the cost of operation exceeding the return in revenue it is with regret that this service is no longer commercially viable LINK Slight changes to service 48 occur at the same time The 30th August also sees changes to the Ugobus network: Service 2 The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will be changed to operate every 10 minutes during the peak periods and every 12 minutes off peak. Certain evening journeys operating Monday to Saturday and certain late afternoon Sunday journeys have also been withdrawn. LINK Service 6 the 6 is being re-routed onto The Viaduct to avoid Drakes Circus: This change has been implemented in order to improve the reliability and punctuality of the service by avoiding the congestion at the entrance to the Drakes Circus car park. LINK Service 5   The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will be changed to operate every 30 minutes during the peak periods. Off peak journeys will remain at a 15 minute frequency. LINK Service 11 Following the successful launch of Ugobus service 11 between Plymouth and Honicknowle, some amendments to the evening journeys will come into effect from Sunday 30 August. LINK I guess the 2 being reduced from 10 mins to 12 mins intervals off peak isn't that big a deal but the evening service down to hourly from half hourly is a big change that will further annoy Plymstock residents who have seen big reductions in their evening and weekend services this year. Service 6 seems an odd change as it comes a good few months after Citybus have re-rerouted most of its buses back through the Drakes Circus stops after road improvements seem to have reduced the delays. First having made a point at the time that their services were not being moved off Mayflower Street unlike Citybus! Service 5 is the odd one. I assumed that the news release had got it the wrong way round but the timetables do confirm the odd news that the service is running twice as much off peak as it is during the peak. Surely its normally the other way round? Service 11 is another big cutback. “Some amendments to evening journeys” translates to the evening service is withdrawn after the last bus departing 18:35. There were rumours that the 11 was being cut back in the evenings so the company could improve its evening services in Plymstock, its traditional operating territory. There may be more changes yet to be published but I don't see any signs of increased evening service for Plymstock so far. With cut backs in Cornwall also due to happen in September with a lot of work believed to be passing to Western Greyhound, and strong rumours of depot closures for First these are not happy times for the company or its customers. A few years back Western Greyhound was just a small independent operator running a smart fleet of Mercedes minis. Its now rapidly turning into the main operator in Cornwall with a growing fleet of smart low floor Solos and even a few low floor double deckers. As I have often pointed out, the appearance of the First Fleet these days is extremely smart. Its just getting a lot harder to actually see one. I guess at least Casper can still keep catching his number 3 - that seems to escape the cut backs this time around! Omnibuses has a nice post which looks at the current economic conditions and how they impact on bus operators. LINK HERE

Woops

"The splle cheker dont wokr”

Sorted!

Caught up with 34198 again today and I am pleased to report that the registration number on the front of the bus has now been corrected back to UKT552. Quick work by someone down at The Ride!

plymouth citybus home page!

I went to look up the Plymouth Citybus site this evening to view timetables so i can visit my Dad in hospital. This is what I got.

Looks like something has gone wrong!

New Plymouth Citybus Excitement!

As a thank-you to all those supporting the current trial bus services in the region, adults will be able to travel for free on all six New Plymouth Citybus routes next Friday, 21 September. The offer does not apply to child fares

The above headline snippet came through on one of my regular saved news searches and I must admit I got quite excited. 6 new routes from Plymouth Citybus - it sounded too good to be true.

I was right - it was!

The full news story:
RIDE THE BUSES FOR FREE
Taranaki people will be able to ride for free on New Plymouth Citybus and South Taranaki South Link passenger services next week. As a thank-you to all those supporting the current trial bus services in the region, adults will be able to travel for free on all six New Plymouth Citybus routes next Friday, 21 September. The offer does not apply to child fares.
Fares for all passengers – adults and children -- will be waived on South Link routes on Thursday, 20 September, and Friday, 21 September.
The South Link free fares apply to:
- All passengers on the Waverley-Hawera return and Opunake-Hawera return services on Thursday, 20 September. - All passengers on the Opunake-New Plymouth return service on Friday 21 September. The Citybus and South Link bus services are being funded on a trial basis by the Taranaki Regional Council, with support from the South Taranaki and New Plymouth District Councils. Citybus services are operated by Okato Bus Lines, while Pickering Motors and Weir Bros operate the South Link routes. Taranaki Regional Council Chief Executive Basil Chamberlain says the free bus days are a gesture of thanks for those who have been supporting the trial bus services – as well as an invitation for others to try them.
“In the nature of all trials, it’s a case of ‘use it or lose it’,” he says. “Here’s an easy way to vote with your feet and hop on the bus.” For details of Citybus and South Link routes and timetables, see www.trc.govt.nz or www.okatobus.co.nz (Citybus). As well as being a gesture of thanks, the promotion ties in with World Carfree Day, which is observed internationally on 22 September. See http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/ for more details.
ENDS
Web: www.trc.govt.nz
The last web address gives the game away - New Plymouth is in New Zealand.
Still it got me excited for a minute or two on an otherwise dull day!

Imagination

I have walked by this signpost almost everyday for the last 18 months and never really took much notice of what it said. You'd think they could have come up with a better name for the place!
didbygraham