First South West (Kernow & Buses of Somerset)

[Goldfish62]

Is there any evidence that the revised ticketing arrangements have dissuaded some from using the Park and Ride? There's a suggestion there, and in other local media reports, that they may have done.

Whatever the truth with that it's relevant. All revenue goes to the council. FSW gets pays the same amount for the contract whether it carries zero or a million passengers.

 

[stuu]

The best option would be to use some of the BSIP funds to improve bus priority in Taunton... I think that might be a long time coming!

None of the BSIP funded priority improvements will help the 28 unfortunately, where it gets held up is not where bus lanes can be easily added. Running it along the inner distribution road would save a few minutes though

 

[MotCO]

The Nimbus is indeed in the process of restoration.

LHSs 1560 and 1255 are both regular visitors to Mousehole each April at the running days, as is SUS 603. LHS1557, MB811 357 and MB709 are all less regular visitors.

So plenty available.

(For those just joining this thread I am of course not being serious and advocating this...)

If the preserved buses are MOT'd to Class 6 standard, are they not able to run in service for up to 20 days a year? I'm not sure if a PSVAR compliant bus would have to duplicate it.

 

[farwest]

T1/T2 interwork and the company wouldn’t re write the timetable so the T1 could serve the St Erth interchange so doubt they will do it to serve a park and ride site.

I don't think any of those routes want slowing up to go via the Park and ride.

 

[MasterSpenny]

Video credit to Coach & Bus Week, but here is a video of the First Kernow Land End Coaster
(Title shows Part 1, so will post part 2 when it’s uploaded.)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

None of the BSIP funded priority improvements will help the 28 unfortunately, where it gets held up is not where bus lanes can be easily added. Running it along the inner distribution road would save a few minutes though

Yeah, I think they proposed some priority in East Reach but not to the north.

 

[Busaholic]

I don't think any of those routes want slowing up to go via the Park and ride.

Or via Treliske Hospital stops, admirable though it might be in theory.

 

[Andyh82]

This is Minehead outstation. Not exactly extensive

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[Paperyostrich]

Yeah, I think they proposed some priority in East Reach but not to the north.

Bus lanes from the Market House and down East Reach towards Hamilton Road would be much welcome especially during the evening rush hour

 

[Simon75]

This is Minehead outstation. Not exactly extensive

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Was there a depot before the outstation opened ?
No refueling, washing or office facilities,?

 

[richw]

Ah, so the new section. I wonder how far in advance a route test was done. Was it done before the route was registered, I wonder?

It was done around a week before the service started

 

[stuu]

Bus lanes from the Market House and down East Reach towards Hamilton Road would be much welcome especially during the evening rush hour

The actual plans are here (p36)

https://somersetcc.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/SCCPublic/EfjRzNdkapRNirCPgDn5KBYBt41wUf5jpgAH4MmZyn5zQw?e=TQ9eUm

 

[Marcus Fryer]

Was there a depot before the outstation opened ?
No refueling, washing or office facilities,?

In Western National days there was a combined bus station and depot in The Avenue, where the co-op is now. I don’t know exactly when it closed, but I think it was in 1980.

 

[Snozzel]

Or via Treliske Hospital stops, admirable though it might be in theory.

The u1/a already goes via treliske hospital

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Was there a depot before the outstation opened ?
No refueling, washing or office facilities,?

The depot was extensively rebuilt in the 1960s as per this picture from Richard Stubbings https://www.flickr.com/photos/richa...Yy-7rjq14-ot577e-frq4Zt-crCZh1-ocaUoS-6HHgfr/

In the photo, the bus station is out of shot, opposite the garage doors. It closed c.1980

However, for a number of years, buses were parked in the public car park in Mart Road, before moving to Brunel Way

 

[OptareOlympus]

Video credit to Coach & Bus Week, but here is a video of the First Kernow Land End Coaster
(Title shows Part 1, so will post part 2 when it’s uploaded.)

Is it still dropping to two hourly from Sunday as originally printed or is it now continuing hourly until the 1 Oct changes?

 

[Goldfish62]

Is it still dropping to two hourly from Sunday as originally printed or is it now continuing hourly until the 1 Oct changes?

The current service is continuing until 1 Oct, when the heavy cut back occurs.

 

[buscoaster]

Just out of interest, comparing the Exmoor Coaster with the old Exmoor Explorer route 400 that Quantock used to run - where did the 400 actually go? Did it every go up Porlock Hill? Trying to work out what route it would have taken from Exford to Porlock

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Just out of interest, comparing the Exmoor Coaster with the old Exmoor Explorer route 400 that Quantock used to run - where did the 400 actually go? Did it every go up Porlock Hill? Trying to work out what route it would have taken from Exford to Porlock

One way loop so Minehead - Dunster Steep - Wheddon Cross - Exford - Porlock

 

[Goldfish62]

It was done around a week before the service started

That's a fairly pointless exercise then, because any issues highlighted would be extremely unlikely to be rectified before the service started.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

I purposely drove from Princetown to Yelverton yesterday in the car - I'm in Tavistock at the moment - to see the situation. Obviously there are no trees to worry about on the high moor and the only potential issue is on the descent to Dousland. As far as I could tell the trees looked to be all neatly trimmed with bags of clearance. As has been pointed out Stagecoach succesfully operated via Princetown after a bad smash closed the main Tavistock to Yelverton road not long ago.

 

[Peter Philips]

One way loop so Minehead - Dunster Steep - Wheddon Cross - Exford - Porlock

And the heritage operated with a conductor QMS Exmoor Explorer 400 was a delightful scenic route that needed duplicates at certain times!

 

[OptareOlympus]

The current service is continuing until 1 Oct, when the heavy cut back occurs.

Thanks for that. I see now they've been uploaded and advertised until further notice.

 

[Busaholic]

The u1/a already goes via treliske hospital

But the T1/2 don't.

 

[richw]

As has been pointed out Stagecoach succesfully operated via Princetown after a bad smash closed the main Tavistock to Yelverton road not long ago.

Twice or possibly three times stagecoach have diverted that way this summer.

 

[Goldfish62]

I purposely drove from Princetown to Yelverton yesterday in the car - I'm in Tavistock at the moment - to see the situation. Obviously there are no trees to worry about on the high moor and the only potential issue is on the descent to Dousland. As far as I could tell the trees looked to be all neatly trimmed with bags of clearance. As has been pointed out Stagecoach succesfully operated via Princetown after a bad smash closed the main Tavistock to Yelverton road not long ago.

The intrigue continues.

That makes me think then that either FSW used trees as an excuse to deliberately run down the route since the change of senior management, or the trees issues really is elsewhere on the route. Certainly when I went on the route last October the trees were rather low and bashing the bus between Exeter and Moretonhampstead.

 

[Andyh82]

The intrigue continues.

That makes me think then that either FSW used trees as an excuse to deliberately run down the route since the change of senior management, or the trees issues really is elsewhere on the route. Certainly when I went on the route last October the trees were rather low and bashing the bus between Exeter and Moretonhampstead.

Why would they ‘deliberately run down the route’? It’s fully commercial and doesn’t fulfil any social need, if they didn’t want to run it they could have just not run it at all

Maybe the trees have been cut down now but weren’t in July, that seems more likely.

 

[M803UYA]

Just out of interest, comparing the Exmoor Coaster with the old Exmoor Explorer route 400 that Quantock used to run - where did the 400 actually go? Did it every go up Porlock Hill? Trying to work out what route it would have taken from Exford to Porlock

The Exmoor Coaster has it's origins in the old 300 service. The 400 was a 2002 innovation. Post 2005 when First withdrew a number of Minehead services the 300 ended up with Quantock who chopped and changed it so much that demand literally fell away, Around the time of the council budget cuts they hit on the idea of merging the route with the 39 to Porlock, overlooking the latter's role as a semi-permanent bus route rather than something seasonal! Result was a timetable no one understood or could use but one which saved a vehicle.

Quantock introduced open top buses to the 300, which caused Devon to rip up their part of the contract and retender the Ilfracombe-Lynmouth section of route. Admittedly loadings would have been better between Minehead and Lynmouth which is what they capitalised upon.

 

[Goldfish62]

Why would they ‘deliberately run down the route’? It’s fully commercial and doesn’t fulfil any social need, if they didn’t want to run it they could have just not run it at all

Except that you can't just decide not to run a route. It's 70 days notice.

But yes, I agree, probably unlikely.

 

[richw]

Why would they ‘deliberately run down the route’?

The new management don’t have the appetite for it?

Another thing to consider if it’s marginal, a Gemini does around 5mpg, a Solo SR between 12-15mpg.