Exeter HATOC | 19 April 2012 | New routes for Exeter

I'm very concerned about the inadequate provision of public transport in and around Exeter.

Stagecoach appears to concentrate on radial routes running from outlying areas into the city centre and out the other side.

Surely there are strong arguments for some orbital routes. Indeed, one such one could run from Alphington and the planned SW of Exeter Urban Extension planned by Teignbridge District Council to Cranbrook, taking in Newcourt en route.

So I raised this as a question of Stagecoach representatives at the Exeter HATOC meeting on 19 April 2012

4. Bus Services in Exeter

Bus and Coach Operators to answer Members questions

Q3) Better Bus Area Fund

Later in this meeting we are looking at elements of the Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 2012-2026

On the Devon County Council website, an important part of this strategy the Better Bus Area Fund Bid.

This main thrust of this bid seems to with developing new and improving existing bus corridors.

Looking at diagrams within that document, it seems to me that there may be an argument for some sort of orbital bus route – indeed 2, running clockwise and anti-clockwise – which could be easily achieve by bridging the gap Alphington/SW Exeter development and the one at Newcourt

Would Stagecoach be prepared to investigate plans to introduce an orbital route to complement the numerous bus corridors?

The minutes of the meeting record:

*125 Bus Services in Exeter

(Councillors (Councillors Clark and Macdonald attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

Arising on a question from Councillor Bull about the introduction of smart cards and reference to a new orbital route (referred to in the new LTP for Devon) Mr Bailey reported that it was hoped that smart cards would be introduced for the mega rider service in July/August and then be extended to other services; in regard to any new proposed orbital route the company would be happy to tender for the service should this be offered in the future.

Indeed the Stagecoach spokesperson made reference that a previous attempt to introduce such an orbital route proved unsuccessful. He seemed to ignore the fact that my request was as a result of significant development already delivered and planned to be delivered in the near future, along with 2500 homes in the greater Alphington area.

His mantra was a continual one of "we are a commercial operation so we can only deliver new routes if there is subsidy from Devon County Council"

Since the Local Transportation Access Strategy for South West Exeter published in January 2011 makes reference to "

> Additional buses to extend local bus routes to serve new development with a frequent service

> Enhanced bus service with good levels of priority and improved technology (e.g. smartcards)

this does not bode well for the future.

And it certain puts paid to some of my other ideas for bus services for Exeter which would include:
>  Introduction of a commuter bus from Exeter St David's to the industrial estate of Matford/Marsh Barton to get commuters in the habit of using rail travel as much as possible ahead of the planned new rail halt at Marsh Barton [thus taking commutertraffic off the roads through and surrounding Alphington]
>  Once the halt is delivered, a circular route to run around the industrial estate.
> That would allow the GREEN P&R bus to stop ONLY at the halt, and the above bus to serve the estate.
> A circular route to travel between Exeter St David's. Exeter Central and the Bus Station. A 10 minute service could possibly be delivered by 3/4 buses. They must have plenty of storage space for bulky luggage.
> A direct express service between Exeter St David's and Exeter Airport, with one stop only in the city      centre.