First Bus - an update

Last night Millbrook Parish Council hosted a joint meeting with other parish councils in the area to discuss the timetabling problems that I've highlighted in these postings on several occasions.


First Bus sent along Simon Newport who I believe is their Operations Director, so high enough up the organisation to be able to make a difference.


Several pertinent questions were put (with varying degrees of forcefulness) to Mr Newport who did his damnedest to give constructive and feasible answers. The definite outcomes that I remember are:


1. The 81C from Plymouth to Cremyll should no longer be routed up and down Goad Avenue, reducing the journey time on that route by about 10 minutes. That should give First the leeway to work on meeting the Cremyll Ferry as they used to. Watch this space on that one.


2. The 181 which serves Liskeard will use the bus stop by the former Ferry Lanes shop at Torpoint, rather than the one by the rowing club thus allowing users to transfer buses more easily. First will also look at extending the service to include Liskeard railway station, as the turning area used by the current route almost extends it that far anyway.


3. The service (number escapes me) which goes through Crafthole will reverse its route making sure thereby that the Finneygook stop is properly served and bus users waiting in Sheviock do not have to cross the main road from the bus shelter.


4. Mr Newport agreed that First had made a mistake in buying buses too large to use the road through Anderton, but was obliged to point out that we're stuck with them now and we have to try and get the best use we can from them. They can't be swapped for other vehicles (personally I never thought they could).


5. We will meet again early in October to discuss the draft timetable for the winter and the assorted Parish Councils will be able to have input into the final drafting.


So, a good constructive meeting. Let's hope we get the results from it that we all hope. Well done to everyone who wrote or emailed - the pressure eventually pays off!


After the meeting the usual suspects from the council high-tailed it off the the D&C for a quick pint or two before collapsing time. Jolly nice it was too: