Gordon Hook

Liberal Democrat District Councillor for Buckland and Milber Learn more

Changes to Aller Bus Service. Does this impact on you?

by admin on 27 October, 2016

Changes to Stagecoach Service 13/13B (formerly numbered 66/66B), Newton Abbot – Kingskerswell – The Willows – Torbay Hospital – Marldon – South Devon College – Brixham / Berry Pomeroy – Totnes, take effect on Monday 28th November.

The background

This is a commercial service change in response to Torbay Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund support coming to an end. Devon County Council had contributed towards this arrangement in respect of the section of Service 13B between The Willows, Marldon, Berry Pomeroy and Totnes.

Service 13/13B had also been in receipt of temporary funding from Devon County Council towards an increased frequency at the Newton Abbot end of the route and the diversion via Aller Brake Road, Newton Abbot. This was part of the South Devon Link Road project, the service diversion being aimed at mitigating the loss of bus stops along Newton Road. This temporary funding ceased last month but the service has until now carried on unchanged.

The changes

Stagecoach are now giving notice to continue Service 13 with a reduced frequency, Monday to Friday only, on a commercial basis, that is without Council funding. The timetable for this is attached. The route covers Newton Abbot (including Aller Brake Road) – Kingskerswell – The Willows – Torbay Hospital – Marldon – South Devon College – Brixham. Aller Brake also retains Dartline Service 174 which, subject to confirmation expected shortly, will run later on Saturday afternoons than it does now.

Stagecoach will not run any service on the section of Service 13B, Totnes – Berry Pomeroy – Marldon – The Willows, although Marldon will continue to be served by Service 13. Marldon also retains Local Link Service 67 to The Willows, Paignton and Brixham (67 timetable also attached).

Following a new competitive tender, we are able to preserve a service on the otherwise unserved section of the 13B through a new contract with Country Bus. However, in the context of our current support criteria and taking into account the pressure on budgets, only a reduced Monday to Friday timetable is supportable. It provides three journey opportunties which would otherwise be lost as a result of the commercial change:

– a shopping-time service from Marldon and Berry Pomeroy to Totnes;

– a shopping-time service from Berry Pomeroy and Marldon to Torquay and The Willows;

– a link from Totnes (connecting with Service X64 from Dartmouth) and Berry Pomeroy to Torbay Hospital.

I am happy to forward more detail should anyone require it…just ask.

   2 Comments

2 Responses

  1. Mrs Anne Bogdanovic says:

    I will soon have to visit Torbay Hospital regularly by public transport. I live in Totnes. I do not want to have to walk from nearby busy roads. I cannot work out how I might find a bus, without having to change. Information on reductions and changes have continued, confusingly. What bus service (if any) still connects Totnes and the hospital site itself, as of November 2017?

    • gordonhook says:

      The main bus from Newton Abbot to Torquay is the 12, which runs every 10 minutes and is an excellent service. I am no expert on the local bus service, but I am sure the bus companies ( or indeed the Tourist Information Service, which is right next to the Newton bus station in Sherborne Road) could advise. You could travel to Newton by bus or train, and there is a bus stop just outside the rail station, if train is more convenient for you from Totnes.

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