Due to another outbreak of incompetence, yesterday's blog referred to "ADL" Travel. fbb is sorry for confusing everybody, including himself!
The web site, still up and running, gives basic details of the company's activity (private hire and tendered bus routes) and shows an operating base just north of Royal Wootton Bassett.
Zooming it to Greenhill Road (top of map above) we can see an aerial view of the yard ...
... which is shared with Blackfords Turf and Topsoil, amongst others.
The web site lists a number of bus services ...
... and from on-line photographs it would appear that various other routes have been operated from time to time.
60
Friday only round trip
61
Wednesdays via the delighfully named Lydiard Millicent
62
Wednesday only two return trips
91
Mondays to Fridays one return trip
95
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays one return trip
Which leaves the arguably more interesting 33/X33.
An older version of the Monday to Friday timetable was simpler! With no X33
The company's vehicles seem in good nick and are all (?) "pre-owned". This motor ...
... on a service which no longer exists, once ran for Supertravel, operating in the Merseyside area.
This vehicle, with branding for the 33 ...
... has a previous life with Gloucester Park and Ride.
It would appear that the company threw in the towel on Friday 30th December or thereabouts, although nothing official or journalistic has yet appeared on-line.
It was this twit message ...
... that alerted Roy, a Sheffield correspondent, to APL's demise.
Based in Chippenham and operating a very smart fleet and a well designed web site ...
... Faresaver has featured previously in this blog. See "Boosting Buses in Bath - or Not 2" (read again). In view of the extended holiday period, it is not at all surprising that details have not yet made it on to the Faresaver web site.
No doubt fbb and his gang of informants will keep an eye open for further developments.
In Case You Wondered?
Lydiard Millicent? The first part of the name of the village may be derived from the Old English for ‘gate by the ford’, while Millicent comes from Millicent de Clinton, who owned the manor in the 12th century and was the wife of William de Clinton.
Lydiard Manor is mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086, owned by Geoffrey de Clinton.
There is also a nearby Lydiard Tregoze and and more prosaic Lydiard Green.
Tomorrow we are due to return to the demise of Supertram Link 3 in Sheffield with a consequent reorganisation that is a consummate lesson in how to confuse potential passengers. It is a joy (NOT) to behold.
Next bus blog : Wednesday 4th January
From a Wilts Council leaflet a few months ago:
ReplyDelete"We regret to inform passengers that APL Travel have advised us that due to a shortage of drivers, they will no longer be able to operate bus services 40, 42 & 43 in the Calne area with effect from 31st May 2016. We have therefore arranged for another bus company, Thamesdown Transport, to take over these services."
Thamesdown also run the last journey (17:55) 33 from Devizes to Chippenhan on Saturdays.
So previous issues.