Stagecoach and the South West Falcon

[whole diary]

[Adelante_CCT]

No splitting at Didcot Taunton then

[LiskeardRich]

No splitting at Didcot Taunton then

Not if the driver plays by the rules.

Falcon fares




Journey  Adult Single/Adult Return
Plymouth - Exeter ^7.30/^7.50
Plymouth - Taunton ^7.30/^7.50
Plymouth - Bristol ^22/^25 
Exeter - Bristol ^13/^15
Taunton - Bristol ^6.50/^7.50
Brent Knoll - Bristol ^6/^7
Churchill - Bristol ^4.30/^5

Please note:

Sorry, but concessionary passes are not valid on Falcon.

Falcon is an express coach link for long distance journeys, local journeys cannot be made.

A through ticket must be bought on boarding for the full length of your journey. If you wish to split your journey into sections you must disembark and catch a later coach.

For full details please refer to our FAQs^▸ (Frequently Asked Questions) (coming soon

[Tim]

No splitting at Didcot Taunton then

I suspect that this may be difficult to enforce.  I do wonder what the legal consequences of not observing this rule would be.  IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), buses (except in London) do not have the benefit of a list of offences that can be used against fare dodgers. 

[TaplowGreen]

 

No splitting at Didcot Taunton then

I suspect that this may be difficult to enforce.  I do wonder what the legal consequences of not observing this rule would be.  IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), buses (except in London) do not have the benefit of a list of offences that can be used against fare dodgers. 

...........maybe something to ponder whilst you're standing at the bus stop after the driver chucks you off for not having the correct ticket?

[Richard Fairhurst]

The interior looks identical to the X5 Oxford-Cambridge coach - maybe a slightly lighter blue. As a fairly regular X5 user, I'll admit I'd have to be really feeling the pinch to catch one of those when there's a train available, but no doubt they've done their research...

[Puffing Billy]

Even from Taunton, let alone further west, a check-in before 7.30 a.m., or (at least at weekends), a landing after 9.00 p.m precludes the use of the existing service via Bristol TM^‡(resolve), so the Falcon has the market to itself outside those hours. But one thing that might put people off is the insistence of avoiding a diversion to the (Taunton) town centre - I am not overly happy at the prospect of being dumped at a deserted business park in the small hours of the morning! Do not know if similar misgivings apply to the other stops - perhaps other people may have some input on this.

[LiskeardRich]

Even from Taunton, let alone further west, a check-in before 7.30 a.m., or (at least at weekends), a landing after 9.00 p.m precludes the use of the existing service via Bristol TM^‡(resolve), so the Falcon has the market to itself outside those hours. But one thing that might put people off is the insistence of avoiding a diversion to the (Taunton) town centre - I am not overly happy at the prospect of being dumped at a deserted business park in the small hours of the morning! Do not know if similar misgivings apply to the other stops - perhaps other people may have some input on this.

At the early hours I'd prefer not to be dropped in a town centre to be honest. The likelihood is someone will get collected if they have luggage so the deserted business park might be better choice than a town centre at club kicking out time and drunken revellers.

[Puffing Billy]

Good point. On the other hand, the bus station has secure car parking nearby, and a taxi-rank round the corner as a fall-back in case you cannot arrange to get picked up. Can see the pros and cons of both situations.

[anthony215]

I  have raised the issue of timet keeping especially between Bristol Airport and Bristol city centre.  I have been driving the Bristol Airport - Cardiff  National  express service and frequently it has taken me 25 minutes to get from the airport to Ashton Gate during peak hours.

I do think   Stagecoach might  do well with this route and wish them luck. I think National express will be watching with interest. 

[ChrisB]

Plymouth - Exeter ^7.30/^7.50
Plymouth - Taunton ^7.30/^7.50

Plymouth - Bristol ^22/^25

Taunton - Bristol ^6.50/^7.50

That's asking for pax to try it on.....there's no need to load the fare like that!

[LiskeardRich]

Plymouth - Exeter ^7.30/^7.50
Plymouth - Taunton ^7.30/^7.50

Plymouth - Bristol ^22/^25

Taunton - Bristol ^6.50/^7.50

That's asking for pax to try it on.....there's no need to load the fare like that!

It's probably to encourage Plymouth -Bristol passengers to use megabus which is typically between ^5-8 single booked 10days in advance for that journey. The megabus has a slightly quicker journey time as it only calls as Exeter, and goes a quicker way into Bristol.
 Plymouth -Exeter/Taunton are in the SW explorer day ticket area at a price of ^7.50 valid on all stagecoach SW services which may explain that ticket price,

[Tim]

No splitting at Didcot Taunton then

I suspect that this may be difficult to enforce.  I do wonder what the legal consequences of not observing this rule would be.  IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly), buses (except in London) do not have the benefit of a list of offences that can be used against fare dodgers. 

...........maybe something to ponder whilst you're standing at the bus stop after the driver chucks you off for not having the correct ticket?

But having to leave the bus at Taunton and catch the next one is what you would have to do anyway if you had decided to use split ticketing legally. 

If I was doing Plymouth Taunton in my younger time-rich cash-poor days, I would certainly have bought the split tickets to save myself about a tenner at the cost of an extra hour of my time. 

Having now got those split tickets, I'd certainly try jumping off and then back on the same bus at Taunton, on the basis that I would be unlikely to be breaking any criminal law and the worst that could happen would be that I would be refused re-entry to the bus and have to wait for the next one.

[Chris from Nailsea]

... frequently it has taken me 25 minutes to get from the airport to Ashton Gate during peak hours.

As a commercial driver familiar with that particular route: I agree. 

However, the construction of the South Bristol Link road will apparently solve all of those problems. 

[TaplowGreen]

I was in Plymouth last weekend and happened to be strolling through Bretonside as one of the Falcons was getting ready to depart - so busy the driver was turning people away - lots of people talking about it too in Plymouth as an alternative to driving/getting the train, they look like top notch vehicles & seems like it could be a winner for Stagecoach (and travellers to Bristol!)

[IndustryInsider]

...so busy the driver was turning people away...

Good to hear the service was busy, but not good to hear people being turned away.  One of the negatives of coach travel.  Presumably you can book ahead to guarantee a seat though?