First bus service cuts and job losses in Somerset (Western Daily Press 24/05/13)

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

First in Somerset has now become part of First Devon and Cornwall. New official name is First Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
I'm assuming this is cost cutting at office level to cause this.

[Lee]

First Bus, on fare simplification in Taunton:

New flat ^3 return and ^2 single fares in Taunton from 28 July

As part of changes to your bus services happening on 28 July, were simplifying our fares.

Your new flat fares within Taunton will be:

Adult ^3 return, ^2 single
Child ^1.50 return, ^1 single

These flat fares will be valid anywhere on Taunton town services 1,2,3,4,5,6 & 7. Plus services 21,22,22A,25,25A, 28, 29, 30 & 54 as far as Bishops Hull Crossroads, Norton Fitzwarren Manor Park, Ladymead Road, Monkton Heathfield, Heathfield Drive, Brittons Ash, M25 J25 and Chestnut Drive.

To view the new Taunton network map which shows where the new flat return and single fares are valid please click here.

[Lee]

Further First Bus explanation on Taunton fare simplification:

First launches fares trial in Taunton

First is to introduce an experimental set of bus fares in Taunton from Sunday 28 July. Fares will be simplified and new tickets introduced in a bid to make travel simpler and more attractive. The experiment will be used to help develop a wider review of bus fares across a much wider part of Somerset.

Alongside a new network of Taunton Town bus services being introduced on Sunday 28 July, First has taken the opportunity to test the reaction of customers to changed fares.

Alex Carter, Director for First in the South West, says "We're committed to reviewing our whole operation in Somerset, improving each aspect of the offer to our customers and potential new customers. Weve taken on board feedback from customers about the lack of some ticket types, the complicated nature of fares, and restrictions on some tickets. We're taking the opportunity of delivering a new set of fares and tickets alongside the new network of Taunton bus routes, which have been designed to encourage growth in bus usage. Well be keeping a close watch on the results of the changes to see how they work in the town, to help deliver improvements both in Taunton and more widely in Somerset later in the year."

The experimental fares will be available across routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and parallel sections of other routes that run to and from Taunton.

Within the town services there will be a flat ^3 day return, which will include journeys where a change of buses is needed. The equivalent single fare will be ^2. For the majority of existing customers this represents a cut in the price of travel.

Children (ie those aged between 5 and15 years) will see all their fares reduced, as child fares will be fixed at half of the equivalent adult fare.

Taunton Weekly Passes will be reduced to ^15, and a Child Taunton Weekly Pass will be introduced at ^7.50.

There will be no differential for peak and off peak travel - all tickets will be available at all times.

The current ^4.30 FirstDay ticket will be replaced by the 'Anywhere to Anywhere' ^3 return that includes changes of bus.

For more information about the new Taunton network, to view or download new timetable information or to find updated fare information for Taunton Town services, customers are advised to log onto www.firstgroup.com/somerset.

First in Somerset is on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/FirstSomerset.

I hope this doesn't signal the beginning of the end for FirstDay tickets in general, as I use them often, and find them very handy for my purposes.

[grahame]

Service 28/X28 (Taunton - Minehead): A number of changes are being made to the timetable of Service 28, effective from 28 July, and notably Service X28 is being reintroduced from the same date for the summer (until 30 August 2013) to provide additional, express journeys, between Taunton Railway Station and Minehead Butlins. These journeys will connect as much as possible with the arrival and departures of key Cross Country rail services.

As regards Service 28, some evening journeys on this service " which First took over commercially a few years ago when local authority support for them was lost " are being removed because they do not carry enough people to make them commercially sustainable. This means that from 28 July the last Monday to Saturday journey from Taunton will be at 2000 hours and at 1840 hours from Minehead.

Minhead now generally every half hour Monday to Saturday, and every hour on Sunday. Last Sunday bus is 17:10 from Taunton and 18:35 from Minehead.  On Monday to Saturday, that 20:00 bus is one odd evening service - otherwise last bus is 18:10.

The highlighted X28 runs Monday to Friday only, 09:35, 12:35 and 15:35 from Taunton Station and gets back there at 09:30, 11:35 and 14:35.     So they connect with the 07:12, 10:20 and 13:20 from New Street, and will get you back to New Street at 11:58, 13:55 and 16:56

 

[JayMac]

Minhead now generally every half hour Monday to Saturday, and every hour on Sunday. Last Sunday bus is 17:10 from Taunton and 18:35 from Minehead.  On Monday to Saturday, that 20:00 bus is one odd evening service - otherwise last bus is 18:10.

The highlighted X28 runs Monday to Friday only, 09:35, 12:35 and 15:35 from Taunton Station and gets back there at 09:30, 11:35 and 14:35.     So they connect with the 07:12, 10:20 and 13:20 from New Street, and will get you back to New Street at 11:58, 13:55 and 16:56

Not to forget that Taunton-Minehead is also served by Webberbus. Although their service is only hourly and doesn't serve Taunton railway station. Instead serving the hospital, the west of Taunton and Bishop's Hull. There's no Sunday service.