It does seem an odd name to display so prominently on the bus. Surely something to attract custom (eg Tour of Bath) would be better. It is to be hoped that the English Rose is not used on the buses for Cardiff!I see that Bath Bus Company has a new brand for its Bristol, Bath and Cardiff open top tours - TOOTBUS.
The Original Open Tour BUS.
Is it just me, or does that not exactly smack of quality?
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West Country Independents
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PhilStockley
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I'm sure loadings were at that level, given that the service only started four weeks ago during the late stages of a national lockdown.
...which is precisely why we and NSC agreed it was a good idea to do the change quickly and before too many people became attached to the link.
Don't forget residents along the 55 route have the option to travel to shops at Yatton and Clevedon (including Tesco at the latter) by travelling through the airport, with no change of bus and respectable journey times, especially from Winford and Felton.
Marcus Fryer
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- 735
Can you confirm that the change was made to improve punctuality by giving a longer turn round time and easing timings?
PhilStockley
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Yes, exactly that.
TheGrandWazoo
Veteran Member
Do you mean WX54XDK (preserved former 66726)?
I think 65726 had a blown engine and was sold via Ensign to Shelton for scrap after cannibalising
Yep it’s 66726. It was ‘borrowed’ yesterday and did a round trip mid afternoon and did 2 or 3 round trips this afternoon.
Citistar
Member
I understand that 66726 is having a brief working holiday at Abus as a result of a vehicle shortage there.
Marcus Fryer
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Please can it be confirmed whether 66726 /WX54 XDK is
a) still owned by First West of England and on loan to Abus,
b) owned by a preservationist and on loan to Abus, or
c) owned by Abus
Thanks
Whiteway215
Established Member
On 18 February I was told 66726 had been sold to a driver and was at Bath depot having the First logos removed. Later that day it was seen being driven through Bath by its new owner.
Citistar
Member
B is the correct answer at the moment.
Marcus Fryer
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Thanks.
Hokey Cokey Travel (trading as HCT Group) appear to have upgraded the 505 service to Metrobus as two of the three all days workings were covered by m1 deckers today. The route in Clifton appears to be either changed or be completely random as some journeys operate via the Promenade and Bristol Zoo (as stated in the timetable) and some use Pembroke Road. I thought it might just be the deckers trying to avoid trees however the single decker also appears to chose it's own route. I'm sure if there are any passengers actually waiting they'll either get a First bus or give up after an hour! The HCT website doesnt offer any information, however it does offer last Christmas's timetables under 'Latest News' so doesn't appear to be cared for either!
One was out all day Saturday as well. They were allegedly offering free journeys as the ticket machines are set up for First/Metrobus, so unable to charge HCT fares!
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-Colly405-
Member
My initial reaction when reading the first 6 or 7 words was, gosh, I bet HCT aren't happy about a new company using a similar name
Marcus Fryer
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Citistar
Member
TravelineSW (South West) advises that from 1st October, Eurotaxis 672 regains the positional journey from Bristol to Blagdon via the A38 in the morning, and reciprocal working from Blagdon to Bristol in the afternoon. Perhaps somebody pointed out to WECA (West of England Combined Authority) that not being able to leave the Chew Valley area after 10am is a bit unreasonable?
Nailseabus
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- 22 Oct 2015
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Seen at Showbus 2021. Anyone remember it on the 903 Long Ashton Park & Ride route.
-Colly405-
Member
Yep, but not with that destination blind!
Dfatcontroller
Member
The Gemini have come from the Manchester area.
cnjb8
Established Member
Spent last week in Cornwall including walking some chunks of the South West coast path in glorious sunshine.
Managed three one-way bus trips though:
1) Hannafore to Polperro (Go Cornwall 72)
2) St Ives to the Trenwith car park (Royal 2)
3) Mevagissey to Gorran Haven (Gorran and District Community Bus G2)
The St Ives 2 seems very efficiently run with at least a couple of buses out from 1000-1700 and more on standby in case it gets too busy, even though the entire journey is only 4 minutes. We walked down but couldn't face walking back up. Was a modern E200 going through some very narrow streets.
We took the G2 from Mevagissey to Gorran Haven to walk back. We did this because the Go Cornwall 23 didn't run this way between 0930 and 1330, the first was too early and the second too late so we got the G2 at 1240 from the stop in the middle of the village. A handful of passengers receiving personal service from a very friendly and helpful driver, even though he didn't really expect to be picking up here on his return journey. A small minibus, sorry I don't know what sort. Lovely narrow roads.
We also had a cup of tea at Lerryn which I note is on the Travel Cornwall (Summercourt) Wednesdays only 482 between Polperro and Lostwithiel. Having driven this I cannot imagine how the bus gets through these narrow lanes. On my 'to do' list!
The Go Cornwall 72 is a different sort of route providing (with the 73) a frequent service between Looe and Polperro and had decent custom, during the week the majority of journeys on the 72 are run with E400s. A glorious walk back.
Managed three one-way bus trips though:
1) Hannafore to Polperro (Go Cornwall 72)
2) St Ives to the Trenwith car park (Royal 2)
3) Mevagissey to Gorran Haven (Gorran and District Community Bus G2)
The St Ives 2 seems very efficiently run with at least a couple of buses out from 1000-1700 and more on standby in case it gets too busy, even though the entire journey is only 4 minutes. We walked down but couldn't face walking back up. Was a modern E200 going through some very narrow streets.
We took the G2 from Mevagissey to Gorran Haven to walk back. We did this because the Go Cornwall 23 didn't run this way between 0930 and 1330, the first was too early and the second too late so we got the G2 at 1240 from the stop in the middle of the village. A handful of passengers receiving personal service from a very friendly and helpful driver, even though he didn't really expect to be picking up here on his return journey. A small minibus, sorry I don't know what sort. Lovely narrow roads.
We also had a cup of tea at Lerryn which I note is on the Travel Cornwall (Summercourt) Wednesdays only 482 between Polperro and Lostwithiel. Having driven this I cannot imagine how the bus gets through these narrow lanes. On my 'to do' list!
The Go Cornwall 72 is a different sort of route providing (with the 73) a frequent service between Looe and Polperro and had decent custom, during the week the majority of journeys on the 72 are run with E400s. A glorious walk back.
Citistar
Member
A couple of notes from this week:
North Somerset Council / Weston & District Community Transport service 56 between Clevedon, Walton Bay and Portishead seems to have restarted after around six weeks' absence. Plaxton Pronto YN58NCA was noted abandoned in Clevedon town centre at lunchtime today.
I was also advised earlier this week that the FromeBus weekly shoppers services 80-83 from the Maiden Bradley area (mostly the villages on and around the B3092 between Frome and Gillingham) have been suspended indefinitely due to staffing issues and low use in recent months. This does leave a fairly substantial area with no public transport as a result.
North Somerset Council / Weston & District Community Transport service 56 between Clevedon, Walton Bay and Portishead seems to have restarted after around six weeks' absence. Plaxton Pronto YN58NCA was noted abandoned in Clevedon town centre at lunchtime today.
I was also advised earlier this week that the FromeBus weekly shoppers services 80-83 from the Maiden Bradley area (mostly the villages on and around the B3092 between Frome and Gillingham) have been suspended indefinitely due to staffing issues and low use in recent months. This does leave a fairly substantial area with no public transport as a result.
At a time when the contracted operations south of Bristol appear to be moving to smaller and smaller vehicles so they can hide from potential passengers the operators north of the city appear to be going the other way. The 622 (Cribbs-Yate via lots of South Gloucestershire) regularly has a Stagecoach double decker on it through the small villages however Eurotaxis also run their 623 (Cribbs-Severn Beach via various other small lanes in South Gloucestershire three days a week) with an ex Dublin decker (on schooldays, this week it's a minibus which is still a bit over the top for the usual load!).
Not wanting to miss out service 207 (Thornbury-Berkeley via the A38) has now been converted to double decker operation by Applegates! This service was with Mikes of Thornbury for many years however it changed to Jackie's Coaches in earlier this year which clearly didn't work out as Applegates had to register it at short notice this month and they now use one of their double deckers on it. Applegates did run this service many years ago (when it had more journeys) using a Renault service bus with a Leyland National as a backup, however these have long gone.
Not wanting to miss out service 207 (Thornbury-Berkeley via the A38) has now been converted to double decker operation by Applegates! This service was with Mikes of Thornbury for many years however it changed to Jackie's Coaches in earlier this year which clearly didn't work out as Applegates had to register it at short notice this month and they now use one of their double deckers on it. Applegates did run this service many years ago (when it had more journeys) using a Renault service bus with a Leyland National as a backup, however these have long gone.
Marcus Fryer
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- 735
I didn’t realise it had passed to Applegates - I saw an anonymous yellow & green Scania single deck on the 207 on 15 October registered B10 EFA which looks like an Applegates cherished registration. However, Bustimes now shows the route as being run by Taylor’s Travel!
Ah, it sounds like they've bought something for it and it was just luck that it was a decker today. Taylors Travel is the legal name of the company that bought Applegate's a couple of years ago.
Citistar
Member
I thought Applecrates used to use the Renault Agora on the Cam & Dursley Station Link service.
Yes I think you're right. They did run a service A7 on what is now the 207 route however it appears to be before the Renault arrived.