Stagecoach announces Boxing Day service
Stagecoach South West has announced that it will be operating Boxing Day bus services on certain routes across Exeter this year, helping both visitors and locals alike to get to the sales.
For visitors from outside of the city, the operator will be running a daytime Sunday timetable on the RED Park & Ride service. For local residents services A (Thornpark Rise, Heavitree, St Thomas, Alphington), T (Pinhoe, Countess Wear, Topsham) and 50 (Exeter bus station, St David’s, Cowley Bridge, Crediton) will also be operating a daytime Sunday timetable, ensuring coverage for the main city corridors1. Last buses on all of these services will be around 1730.
Michael Watson, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, explained “This is the first year we’ll be running Boxing Day buses. For many people, the sales have become an essential part of the Christmas calendar so I believe the timing is right to see if the demand is there. Plus, given the ever increasing costs of motoring, the bus offers not only a greener – but also more economical – alternative to driving into the city centre.”
An adult return on the RED Park & Ride is £2.30 or, for £5.70, up to 5 people can travel on a group return. For customers using the city routes an Exeter Dayrider is only £3.60 and for customers using service 50 an adult return from Crediton is just £4.90. During the school holidays £1 child ‘add on’ tickets are available - up to 3 children can be ‘added on’ per full fare paying adult2.
As well as the Boxing Day buses Stagecoach will operate every day across the holiday period, excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and with early finishes from around 8pm on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Weekend or school holiday timetables may also be in operation therefore customers are advised to check before travelling.
In the run up to Christmas, the RED and GREEN Park & Ride services operate extended hours every late night Thursday, with the last services departing the city centre at 2210 (RED) and 2200 (GREEN). At the weekends, all three Park & Ride sites are open on Saturdays and have extra buses running until the last services depart the city centre. On Sundays only the RED Park & Ride operates. Most Ex-citi routes run late into the evening 7 days a week with last services departing from the city centre after 2300 Mondays to Saturdays and between 2200 and 2300 on Sundays. Passengers travelling to Broadclyst, Cullompton, Exminster, Dawlish, Topsham and Exmouth can also catch last buses from the bus station after 2300 Mondays to Saturdays.
Full details of all seasonal timetables will be available shortly either online at www.stagecoachbus.com/southwest or www.travelinesw.com or in the special holiday services leaflet.
