Going Going…

Three nice shots of Student Link buses 184 185 186 which are now withdrawn from service and pending sale for scrap.
All three shots ©Tom Michaels

Nine lives?

Schools are back and that means school buses. Plymouth Citybus originally planned to withdraw their school services but of course changed their mind so that means the old yellow Student Link fleet is back out on the road. It really was looking like July was their last outing with Citybus but they are still going strong. They may be popular with anoraks like myself but I know some passengers at Derriford were moaning when one turned up in service today. They cant survive for much longer surely?

We see 177, 182, 184, 185, and 187 below back in July at Milehouse. Is it just these five left now? Can anyone confirm status of 178, 181 and 186 which are on my records as still being around?

Another batch of buses which are still plodding on are the original low floor Darts the first of which were withdrawn on the arrival of the new Volvo B7RLE fleet. Number 2 was being prepared for service again back in July when caught it on camera at Milehouse and is now back out in service.
There are all sorts of rumours of second-hand or even new double deckers heading towards Plymouth sometime in the near future for the planned network revamp which looks likely to happen early November at the moment, so its hard to see these buses seeing out the full year but then we have been forecasting the death of the yellow fleet for several years now!

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Bloggers

• Well respected coach and bus operator Carmel Coaches' latest expansion has now been revealed, with the first coach to appear in the Plymouth branded livery, PTOTPA
• The Sunday was very much focussed on the north of the island with the Jurby Museum linked by special bus to the MER at Laxey where the afternoon would see unprecedented scenes at the line's northern terminus. Well, they were for me. Transport Illustrated
• From last weekend (Sunday 1st September) Uno began operating in Northampton, serving the two University Campuses. Did Uno that Northampton had a University? More tomorrow! Public Transport Experience
• Who says operators can’t work together? Yesterday, operators officially launched England’s latest multi-operator ticket, called the Avon Rider. Omnibuses

Catch them while you can

A great shot from Jason seems to be an appropriate way to remind people that time is rapidly running out if you want to catch these stalwarts. Although most of the Citybus school services will be back for the new school year, these buses wont!
Last few days as the schools finish this week.. ©Jason Beverley 1st July 2012

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Bloggers

• And, of course, there are timetables for each route. Please note UK bus in general, these are NOT departure lists but slightly expurgated versions of the full published timetable Public Transport Experience
• Ipswich Buses has attacked the current thinking that produces subtle swirls and has plumped for a deliberate assault on the senses, something that’s jagged and jangles Omnibuses

Students stay linked

After a lot of work behind the scenes it seems that Plymouth Citybus are still very much in the school bus sector for the new school year in September. Yesterday we saw a flurry of registrations on VOSA setting out the new services as from 3rd September 2012:

 

• PH0000135/20 Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Tamerton Folilot and DHS Boys School given service number 101 effective from 02-Sep-2012.
• PH0000135/58 - Variation Accepted: Operating between Plymouth Royal Parade and City College Plymouth given service number 36 effective from 02-Sep-2012. To amend Timetable.
• PH0000135/128 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Tamerton Foliot, Cunningham Road  Finish Point: DHS Boys  Via: Crownhill, DHS Girls  Service Number: 101  Service Type: Normal Stopping  Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012  Other Details: Monday to Friday schooldays only.
• PH0000135/129 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Glenholt, George Park & Ride Finish Point: DHS Boys Plymouth Via: Southway Service Number: 102 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth school days only.
• PH0000135/130 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Crownhill Finish Point: DHS Boys Via: Devonport, St Budeaux Service Number: 104 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth schooldays only.
• PH0000135/131 Registration Accepted Starting Point: Plympton, Steer Park Finish Point: DHS Boys Plymouth Via: Derriford, Peverell Service Number: 109 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth school days only.
• PH0000135/132 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Milehouse Finish Point: Notre Dame School Via: Devonport, Keyham Service Number: 112 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth schooldays only.
• PH0000135/133 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Plympton, Steer Park Finish Point: DHS Girls, Outland Road Via: Marsh Mills, Lipson Service Number: 115 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth schooldays only.
• PH0000135/134 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Milehouse Finish Point: Notre Dame School Via: Crownhill, St Budeaux Service Number: 118 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth schooldays only.
• PH0000135/135 - Registration Accepted Starting Point: Tamerton Foliot Finish Point: Whitleigh Via: Southway, Widewell Service Number: 142 Service Type: Normal Stopping Effective Date: 02-SEP-2012 Other Details: Monday to Friday Plymouth school days only.

Target Travel (Robert Risk) have a registration amendment form the same date:

• PH0006742/40 - Variation Accepted: Operating between Whitleigh and Efford given service number 46/46S/47/47S effective from 03-Sep-2012. To amend Timetable.

We will wait for the dust to settle and more details to emerge before commenting on these changes but it does seem that most if not all school runs have been saved which has to be good news.

 

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Elsewhere on the net

• The problem, so it seems, is that all those jolly visitors rushing to Stratford etc. to watch the pickled egg pushing might, just might, need to catch trains or buses Public Transport Experience
• A passenger boards your bus. She’s in her early 20s. She’s 20p short of her £5 fare. What do you do? Omnibuses
• Seaton Depot.1970's TGP

Student Link

Next week I am going back to college. Well, I am actually attending the Goschen Centre, run by the College of Further Education for a four day First Aid course, as I am to be the First Aider for our department at the Hospital. It does also mean that I will probably get the chance to catch the CFE service linking the college buildings and the City Centre. These use the fleet of Volvo B10M Citybus double decking in their bright yellow Student Link livery.
One of these is 187 F604GVO which is seen in standard Citybus livery above and in the yellow livery below.



One of the things I am hoping to do next week is get some uptodate photos of the transport network around Stoke, Keyham and Devonport - especially the railways in the area. Its not often I get to this part of the City. Of course its weather permitting as it may be to dark to get many photos after the course has finished for the day if its raining!

Other news:

Seen on the M4 heading west last Monday were Six First London Tridents
all were in London Livery and fleet nos but all had destination blinds
removed vehicles were T802/3/12/17/19/46LLC

These are the buses destined for the Park & Ride to be operated by First when they take over in a few months time. Not sure if this is all of them yet as it remains to be seen how many buses they need for the whole service. I guess they will be repainted into Barbie livery for now as we are due to receive brand new buses for the service eventually. Still, its good to know that the buses are starting to arrive now.

Citybus school buses

Citybus are slowly repainting some of their Volvo double deckers in this bright yellow Student Link livery. 185 F602GVO is seen above. Below is 196 F51ACL in the earlier bright orange livery used for Plymouth CFE contract routes.






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