We've had a response back from the Cornwall Councillor (cabinet member for transport) thus:
"I have checked with officers and it is indeed fake news! The 93 will be operated by Plymouth Citybus under the brand of Transport for Cornwall as part of our new and improved bus contract.
I suspect the current operator/driver may have suggested that they are no longer running the service which is correct, hence the misunderstanding.
The new service commences on 1st April but you residents should see no loss of service."
I'm still a little concerned that it does not appear on gov.uk nor traveline (when the other new Citybus routes do), or what is supposed to happen between 29th and 31st March, but it does appear to be good news for St Columb residents.
Has previously been a demonstrator so my money would be on a loan/sale and being used for training/route investigation/learning. (That just about covers all the possibilities!)Might or might not be connected with this topic/ thread but I saw a white E200MMC YW68 OXA in Crowlas at 10 this morning. I was heading in the opposite direction so no further information known.
Has previously been a demonstrator so my money would be on a loan/sale and being used for training/route investigation/learning. (That just about covers all the possibilities!)
Demonstrator photod working routes for citybus in Plymouth city centre last week. Assigned fleet number 1... red number below windscreen on nearsideMight or might not be connected with this topic/ thread but I saw a white E200MMC YW68 OXA in Crowlas at 10 this morning. I was heading in the opposite direction so no further information known.
Anyone know if college bus passes will be be allowed for go ahead as well as kernow as the old bus route was run by kernow and now its go ahead so can you use passes on both routes?
Demonstrator photod working routes for citybus in Plymouth city centre last week. Assigned fleet number 1... red number below windscreen on nearside
on the fleet number subject Gcb fleet are being assigned 4 digit fleet numbers so looks like they being segregated from the citybus fleet
I see on the Plymothian Transit site that the ex London E200’s are receiving 4 digit fleet numbers although I can’t see them being ready in a month for Cornwall routes.
I see on the Plymothian Transit site that the ex London E200’s are receiving 4 digit fleet numbers although I can’t see them being ready in a month for Cornwall routes.
It says some may enter service in daul-door configurationsome may be used in a as delivered condition I guess ?
Anyone know if GCB are expecting anything other than ADL Enviro200 MMCs? Only asking as, while in a vehicle heading up the M5 on Tuesday morning (03rd March) a white Optare Solo SR showing "Sorry Not In Service" passed me. However I was heading north and the Solo SR was going south so I didn't get the registration.
Cheers,
Dave
Certainly won't be top of the agenda now, not until other airlines take over their routes. You wouldn't want to catch a bus to an airport with no planes, not the best timing for GCB, especially being a flagship serviceI think it's fairly safe to say that the Newquay Airport to Truro route idea is dead and buried for the foreseeable future.
The problem is it's only a 'flagship' for councilors. The majority of residents of Cornwall, even if they fly somewhere, are not going to be going to Newquay airport.Certainly won't be top of the agenda now, not until other airlines take over their routes. You wouldn't want to catch a bus to an airport with no planes, not the best timing for GCB, especially being a flagship service
Won't make a difference who's it is, unless the airport picks up again, a bus service with no passengers is the same as an airport with no planesThe problem is it's only a 'flagship' for councilors. The majority of residents of Cornwall, even if they fly somewhere, are not going to be going to Newquay airport.
Later evening service from Plymouth too: last four buses at present are 1745hrs to Bodmin, plus 1845hrs, 2005hrs and 2205hrs Plymouth to Liskeard. However the new timetable has the last four buses at 1845hrs (to Dobwalls), 2010hrs (which appears to run through to Padstow, arr. 2237), 2210hrs (which runs to Dobwalls), and 2340hrs to Liskeard, arr. 0028.The Falmouth routes to be operated by OTS from 29 March are now on Traveline. Interesting that they have a 35 hourly to Helford Passage competing with and at the same times as First's 35. They also have journeys through to Helston as abandoned by First.
The 69 to Mylor Bridge and Flushing is now hourly for most of the day starting at 06:25, a much improved service, and alternate ways round for much of the midday. I think the town services have also been improved and hours extended, the existing 367 has become 67. Great stuff!
And on Traveline the Plymouth 10/11 between Bodmin and Wadebridge has been fixed, much better now and can be deciphered sensibly. It is a pretty good half hourly service between Bodmin Parkway and Wadebridge all through the day after the inevitable school and college variances, including an evening service roughly hourly for a bit through to Padstow. Last bus off Padstow 22.00, arrives Bodmin Parkway at 22.58 to connect into the London sleeper leaving at 23.08. That's one way to eat at Rick Stein's!
Interesting that they have a 35 hourly to Helford Passage competing with and at the same times as First's 35
I'm interested to know whether Plymouth is counted as 'Cornwall' in terms of both cross- county border services and fare experiments in this exercise. I'd have thought possibly yes for the former, but I'd be more surprised about the latter east of the Tamar.
Sorry, my wording was very lax, I'm feeling tired! I'm referring to the money the government is granting to Cornwall to initiate these lower fare experiments i.e. are they intended to carry over into Plymouth on cross-border services or will the fare for the notional Saltash to Plymouth part of the journey, for instance, remain as now?in terms of concession passes, the border is the border. You can travel one way from Saltash to Plymouth before 0930 but not the other for example
What if they tweak it so that the OTS 35 service becomes the 35A, so the 35A becomes hourly but they send the odd one via Helford Passage?there is a simple reason. This route was formerly subsidised, so council contracted citybus who sub contracted to OTS, now a commercial route has been registered the council need to give notice to the contractor that their contract is terminated as of the date a commercial service commences. It’s down to the subsidised operator whether they continue commercially in competition.
With just three weeks to go before the start of the brave new world I would expect some advance publicity to let the public know what to expect. Does anyone know if there's anything in the pipeline?
Needless to say the Cornwall Council website was last updated over a year ago and here's the GCB website:
http://www.gocornwallbus.co.uk/
Not even as much as a "coming soon".
I saw a Twitter post that said GCB were planning to launch a new website and publish timetables a week before commencement of services, which seems inadequate to me.brave new world I would expect some advance publicity to let the public know what to expect. Does anyone know if there's anything in the pipeline?
Absolutely - lots of people might now be buying monthly tickets that will be useless when the new services start or find themselves having to now buy two monthly tickets to cover their same commute. Statements on ticketing availability and interoperability are needed now.Passengers buy monthly tickets and need to plan what to do!
The Museum is not a good place to stand a bus for any longer than strictly necessary as the road gets blocked, so I hope the way it operates will take this into account.The 66 service from Penryn to Truro will terminate at the Museum under Travel Cornwall, rather than the bus station.
It will also operate Monday-Saturday again, with one inward and outward service per day