Road to Brixham Will Close on Sunday

THE main road in and out of Brixham will be closed to traffic from 7am on Sunday for tree felling work.

Following a tree falling at Strawberry Bends last month, council officers have identified a further four large trees on private land that pose a potential hazard to road users and therefore need to be removed.

The trees are particularly big and are close to the highway so will require specialist removal involving a crane to lower the branches.

That means the road will need to be closed to vehicles for most of the day on Sunday.It is expected that the work will carry on until late afternoon, with Brixham-bound traffic being diverted over Kennels Road and Milton Street.

Paignton-bound traffic will be diverted along Churston Way, Copythorne Road and Bascombe Road.

Bus services in and out of Brixham will be severely affected, and people wishing to find out more should contact the bus companies for timetable updates.

 

As soon As I find out which way ant buses, if any, will be going I will let you all know.

 

Paignton and Livermead

Monday and Paignton Bus Station closed for much needed repairs. I am sure it will look wonderful when it reopens in May with its super-duper new roof but sadly still without a loo, shame. Being an inquisitive sort I went over to Paignton to have a look. There was a controller on duty but she had just popped in the office for some more of the leaflets she was handing out. The leaflets showed where all the buses were stopping. While she was gone ( only for 2 minutes at the most) there were 3 groups of people wandering around looking lost so I tried to help. The first person complained that there were no notices in the shop window explaining where the bus stops were. Not true, there were two but out friend hadn’t bothered to look all that carefully. The next person complained that he couldn’t find out where his bus went from so, as I had just(metaphorically) dragged one bewildered customer up to the window to read the notice clearly displayed, I suggested he went in the Travel Shop and ask in there. He expressed the opinion that as he wanted a Local Link bus and not a Stagecoach bus they wouldn’t tell him. Well, I assured him the Stagecoach staff weren’t petty minded and would gladly provide the information he needed. Which they did. By then the controller had reappeared with a large bundle of informative leaflets. Just then this bloke walked passed and attempted to walk past the barriers blocking the station of from the public. 

The controller politely asked him where he was going. “To catch a bus”. Pointing at the empty of buses but not workmen and building materials bus station. The controller explained the bus station was closed and asked the man where he wanted to get to. “Home”, Just the tiniest bit of eye rolling there I have to say. “Which bus do you require?” Well he wanted a number 12. Now the 12s to Brixham go from Hyde Rd and the 12s to Torquay and Newton from Torquay Rd opposite the Post Office. So the controller persevered and asked did he want to go in the direction of Brixham or Torquay. “No, I don’t want to go either of those places”. Where exactly do you want to go to was the next question. “I’ve told you. I want to go home.” (Don’t we all). Eventually Preston was forced out of our reluctant bus passenger and the was directed in the right direction. Whether he got there is anyone’s guess.

The other problem along the 12 route, apart from Fleet St, is Livermead sea front. Work has started, or I should say the site is being set up. A couple of bus stops have been blanked off, both outside the Livermead House Hotel and a large track laying vehicle is parked on the pavement on the seaward side of the road. Oh, and that pavement is closed as well. Really windy down there today, from the east and high tide was in the middle of the afternoon. 

Not nice working conditions. And there are of course two way traffic lights along that stretch just to add to the delays the buses are suffering. Road works up at Torre Station aren’t helping either. There are times when I am glad I’m not a bus driver, though they are few and far between.

As Expected

As expected Fleet St will not be open to buses on Tuesday as originally promised. The new date is 19 March which isn't just a few days late but a whole month. Still best to get it right first time than have to go back and do it all over again.

This set back coupled with the reinforcing of the sea wall at Livermead and the closure of Paignton Bus Station means there could be on going delays the some of our bus services here in the Bay over the next few weeks. Paignton Bus Station shouldn't be too much of a delay, the problem will be the extra walking passengers will be faced with. It might even turn out the temporary arrangement are better than having the bus station which could be sold off to Tesco (or some other supermarket chain). or maybe turned into a multistory car park.

PS Will the new bus station have much needed public toilets? Please.

PPS Remember the hotel in Warren Rd, over looking the Princess Theatre, that burnt down ages ago?
Well CW the demolition experts have just moved in to clear the site ready for rebuilding. Probably a block of apartments. CW will be there for 3 months so it's a big job.

PPS Hands up those of you who can tell the difference between beef and horse without the aid of a DNA testing kit.

Paignton Bus Station

The much loved and even much more slagged off Paignton Bus Station is about to under a slight upgrade stating on Monday 18 Feb. So there will be no buses in the bus station until some time in May this year. As if there wasn't enough going on at the moment with Fleet St and Livermead. While the work is going on you can still board or alight from the buses that usually use the bus station either in Hyde Road or Great Western Road if staying in Paignton or heading for Brixham or Plymouth. If you are heading for Torquay and Newton then opposite the Post Office in Torquay Rd .

The Stagecoach Travel shop in the bus station will remain open while the work is going on.
Full details of where the various bus stops will be located can be found at Torbay Bus Routes excellent and informative web site by clicking here.

Personally I think this upgrade should have been done when it was first suggested, which was some time in 1957 I think. Hopefully there will be loads of controllers on hand for the first week or so to help the bewildered passengers find their buses.

PS Are there going to be any public toilets on this new 21st century bus station or are the passengers still going to have to take a 3 minute walk to find somewhere to relive themselves?

Fw: Livermead Trafic Lights

 

----- Original Message -----

From: David Banks

To: busdriving

Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 4:40 PM

Subject: Livermead Trafic Lights

The work in Fleet St is due to reach the point where buses will be able to drive along it on the 19th but this may be a day or two late.

Just to make thing difficult work is going to start on the sea wall at Livermead on the 18th. And that work will take 6 weeks. Expect delays.

If Only

Hi Chris

I am sure you will be really upset at the moment but I couldn't resist writing to you now (befor you go for your little holiday courtesy of her Majesty Liz II).

If only you had paid the speeding fine and employed a driver for the period of your ban, or better still when you got to 6 points if only you had learnt to drive a bit slower. It's 30 for a reason you know.

Then if only you had realised that secrets, especially when you are a public figure, have a way of getting out.

Then if only you had remembered that loyalty works both ways. Your wife was only going to be loyal to you so long as you were loyal to her. Fancy telling her at half time in a football match that it was full time for her?

Then we get to the big one. If only you had remembered the saying (not always true but apparently true in this case) "Hell have no fury like a woman scorned." She certainly did you in even if it put herself in exactly the same situation you were in. Charged with perverting the course of justice. Revenge can be some what blind.

Still, you are a rich bloke. Buy a small island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and move there till the fuss dies down. After you get out that is.

Fleet St Update

 I have just been down Fleet St. There is still a lot of work to be done before buses will be able to drive along, I would say, from what I overheard that the reopening date of 19 Feb could be considered a little optimistic. Only by a few days though.

Even when the buses do start running through there will still be work going on until some time in June so there isn't going to be too much room.

I did see an item in the paper that suggested that the work in Pimlico isn't going to happen for at least a year and the changing of the date for this work is nothing to do with the closure of Fleet St.

PS When I went down Fleet St first time there were lots of men working there. When I got back and took the photo it was lunch time.

Delays Ahead at Livermead

TORQUAY sea wall improvement works worth £350,000 will begin shortly — reducing seafront traffic to one lane.

Work to protect the Livermead sea wall and, in turn, the main road between Torquay and Paignton is due to start in the next few weeks.

This is from the Herald Express and the story goes on to say that the road near The Livermead House Hotel will be one lane till the end of March. Four tonne blocks will be positioned against the existing sea wall using a 100 tonne crane. Provision will be made for pedestrians to get by the works but it will slow traffic down somewhat.

No start date yet, hopefully it will be after Fleet St reopens.