Just had this forwarded on to me. (my emphasis in bold)
The County Council has used Local Sustainable Transport Fund money to extend Service B from Exeter hourly beyond Exminster to Dawlish (some journeys further extended to Teignmouth). This portion of funding is now coming to an end. Therefore, the Exminster - Dawlish - Teignmouth section of Service B will be withdrawn after operation on Saturday 28th March, except for two peak work-time journeys each way which will continue to be extended to Dawlish and Teignmouth on a commercial basis.
Most users of the withdrawn section of Service B can use Service 2 (Newton Abbot - Dawlish - Exeter) as an alternative. Passengers from Dawlish, Starcross and Kenton who wish to travel to Matford and Marsh Barton can change to Service B in Exminster, although the continuing peak-time Service B journeys will cater for most existing work travellers.
Service B has also included a further hourly extension to Dawlish Warren, provided by Stagecoach on an entirely commercial basis. Stagecoach have decided to withdraw this after operation on Saturday 28th March as it is not commercially viable.
Dawlish Warren will therefore lose its direct bus service to Exeter. But it will continue to be served by:
- Stagecoach Service 11 (half-hourly) to Dawlish, with alternate buses continuing to Torquay, offering interchange in Exeter Road with Service 2 for Exeter and Newton Abbot;
- Dawlish Community Transport Service 187 (once each way per day via Cockwood) to Dawlish;
- Rail service (hourly off-peak period; half-hourly peak) to Exeter St. David’s / Exeter Central and Newton Abbot / Torquay.
We are awaiting figures from Stagecoach as to the total passenger usage from Dawlish Warren on the Service B that’s being withdrawn, but we think it unlikely that the figures would sustain any supported replacement service - particularly in the context of current proposals to reduce supported services throughout the County, and in the light of the alternative services available from Dawlish Warren. Stagecoach have previously informed us that most Dawlish Warren bus passengers wish to go to Dawlish, which they will still be able to do.
These changes are not included in the current public consultation on bus service reductions since they relate (i) to a separate external funding stream (LSTF) and (ii) to a commercial decision by the bus company.
Please