Has the Greenock Bus Gone?

Do people who know about Public Transport look different?

Invariably, when fbb is researching or observing (without anorak, bobble hat or notebook!), someone will accost him requesting public transport advice. So it was in Largs, whilst passing the time of day near this bus stop ...

... actually debating with Mrs fbb about the best source of a cup of coffee. At first uncertain of his facts, fbb peeked a teeny peek at the information in the frames on the pole and was able to provide an answer which satisfied the enquirer; with a little help from Mrs fbb in providing interpreter skills!

A subsequent closer examination revealed that your chubby author had hit on the right answer only by a huge fluke. Here are the "timetables" for buses to or via Greenock as displayed.

The 901 to Greenock is hourly. 

 The 906 to Greenock is half hourly ...

... there is another 906, same operator but different times, that runs via Greenock, but ...

... sadly, omits Inverkip Main Street!

And there's more; a 908 to Greenock makes an occasional guest appearance:-

The above are all operated by McGills. In addition we have Stagecoach 585 / 585A ...

... every half hour to Greenock. The evening journeys at 23 minutes past the hour are route 585A and they don't go to Greenock, of course.

They terminate here ...

... providing an evening service locally in Largs.

To complete the picture, Sunday evening offers us six service 576s to Greenock from 1848 to 2348 ...

...  leaving the final coup de grâce, a 578 to Greenock ...

... which begs the usual questions for departures just after midnight, namely does the bus run at 0003 on Sunday, i.e. just after midnight on Saturday. Probably. fbb guesses it doesn't run at 0003 on Mondays!

And fbb nearly forgot. On the 906 Glasgow timetable but NOT on the 906 Greenock timetable is this little gem.

The 0713 shaded in blue is route 906X, a "commuter" limited stop variant revealed in the notes at the foot of the table.

So that's clear, then. This trip does stop at Greenock but doesn't appear on any of the Greenock headed panels.

So that's seven panels with eight services to consider, all bar one of the eight routes (585A) purporting to go to Greenock.

We must investigate further. And, even better, travel on one!

 Next bus blog : Thursday 15th May