I have good news for people living between Bungay and Great Yarmouth. I think. Maybe - it's all a bit confusing right now so here goes. Having won the new tender to operate the 80/81 between Diss and Yarmouth it appears Anglian found something amiss and handed the tender back. So Simonds were awarded the tender, which was to be operated in conjunction with Borderbus. Ok so far? Now since then there have been further developments. Anglian have let it be known they are going to be operating the 81 between Bungay and Yarmouth on a commercial basis - I have even seen the proposed timetable - however have yet to register it on VOSA. This has not impressed Borderbus who yesterday registered the 580 between Bungay and Yarmouth, again on a commercial basis, to commence on August the 15th. In the meantime Norfolk CC have once again issued a tender for the route as the smaller villages still have to be served. I'm told all will be resolved in the next couple of weeks but it's certainly not dull right now!
Now for the latest on Ipswich Park & Ride. Ipswich Buses seem determined to mix the residents of Chantry and P&R passengers from Copdock together on the 13, running 9 buses an hour that won't bunch at all of course. Madness is all I have to say. As for Martlesham I am led to understand the current idea is that the 66 won't touch the P&R site as first thought. Instead the 63/4/5 will serve the site every haf hour, with a "short" service running in between to give a basic 15 min service in the same way Konect are changing Postwick P&R in Norwich to accommodate the 7. Of course by time next January comes all this will have changed again but it's always interesting to see how things develop.
I had a pleasant surprise yesterday en route to Woodbridge. For the first time I saw VA479 on an Ipswich route that wasn't the 66. Wickham market was the place and by luck I had to catch it to Woodbridge so got a couple of decent photo opportunities.
VA479 pulls into Wickham Market Square |
VA479 loads up in the sun at Woodbridge |
69428 at Woodbridge |
Followed by 69426 |
Chandlers Van Hool CT63 CCT at Woodbridge |
And speaking of the 62, part of the route was replaced by the 60H, and Anglian have released the latest well thought out timetable for that route starting in late July. Did I say well thought out, sorry I didn't mean that. I meant another timetable designed to drive people off the route so it can be scrapped once and for all - do they think we are stupid?
When the 62 was scrapped last April and the 60H introduced passengers living in the Dukes drive area were upset as they would no longer have a bus to Beccles, despite many of them using the 62. They had to catch an 88 to Halesworth town centre then get on the 60H. That wasn't too bad as it connected fairly well - the 88 dropped them off at 1045 for the 1050 to Beccles, and returning there was about a 12 min wait to get back to the estate. No more. There is a bus from Halesworth to Beccles at 0933, so before any connection from Dukes Drive, and not another one till 1208, which gets in from Beccles just AFTER the bus back to Dukes Drive. Yet another giant middle finger to loyal passengers who must wonder what they've done to deserve it. Don't be silly - of course the 88 doesn't connect at Bungay for the 80 to Beccles! Oh well there's always Connecting Communities.....