THERE have been changes to some local bus services, particularly the Chulmleigh to Exeter service, John Richardson-Dawes, Principal Transport Co-ordinating Officer, Transport Co-ordination Service, Devon County Council, has confirmed.

He explained that Beacon Bus have surrendered the Devon County Council (DCC) contract for operating the financially supported Service 377, Chulmleigh - Chawleigh - Lapford - Morchard Road - Copplestone - Crediton - Exeter.

The consequent re-tender resulted in Stagecoach winning a new contract which will take effect on Monday, April 7. He added, however, that in response to Beacon's subsequent decision to cease operations sooner than originally planned, the replacement arrangements are in two stages.

Initially, from Monday, February 10, Stagecoach will operate Service 377 as per the current route and timetable, except for the buses to and from Chulmleigh School, which will continue to be run by Beacon Bus until February half-term, Friday, February 14.

The Chulmleigh School journeys from Monday, February 24 are currently out to tender. The new contract will cater for all students entitled under the County Council's Education Transport policy but there may be an impact on fare-paying (non-entitled) passengers, dependent on the result of the tender.

From Monday, April 7, the bus service arrangement with Stagecoach will take the form of a financially supported extension of their commercially operated Service 50, Exeter - Crediton.

This is made possible by Stagecoach's decision to increase the frequency of their Exeter - Crediton service from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes.

Exeter - Crediton buses will be renumbered Service 5/5A/5B/5C, with 5A replacing Service 51 and continuing as now to Hatherleigh, plus an extension to Okehampton (reinstating a Crediton - Okehampton link), 5B replacing Service 315 to Winkleigh and Barnstaple and 5C replacing Service 377 to Chulmleigh.

A timetable for Service 5C is available (as are those for the Barnstaple Service 325). Full details of 5/5A/5B will follow from Stagecoach.

Chulmleigh's service increases from eight to 11 buses a day, running at mostly hourly intervals.

Due to timing issues, some buses will run direct via the A377, Lapford Cross and Eggesford Station instead of via Lapford and Chawleigh.

The times of buses through Lapford and Chawleigh are designed to cater for current patterns of usage. Chulmleigh direct buses will serve Chawleigh and Lapford on their return and vice versa.

DCC say it will not be possible for buses to run through to Livery Dole or the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter. Passengers changing buses will, however, be able to buy from Stagecoach's full range of through fares and period tickets.

The Saturday service is the same as Monday to Friday, instead of being a reduced timetable as now.

Mr Richardson-Dawes concludes that based on the competitive tender in which all interested companies were invited to take part, the Stagecoach 5C service represents a cost saving of 33 per cent compared with the option of continuing Service 377 as it currently stands.

"Even when weighed against the loss of the Livery Dole/RD and E extension and the changed pattern of service via Lapford and Chawleigh, the Stagecoach arrangement is the one most likely to secure the future of the service in the face of severe pressure on the County Council's budget for bus service support", he said.

• Latest news is that Roadworks at Sampford Courtenay will disrupt Stagecoach Service 51 (which becomes 5A under their revised plans).

Because of this, the revised Service 377 timetable (which becomes the 5C) will take effect on Tuesday, April 22 (the day after Easter Monday), not April 7 as originally planned.

For further details, contact Timetable publications: 01392 382800, Traveline (public transport information): 0871 200 22 33 or visit one of the following websites: [email protected]">[email protected] , http://www.devon.gov.uk/devonbus">www.devon.gov.uk/devonbus or http://www.journeydevon.info/">http://www.journeydevon.info/.