WITH the introduction of national free bus travel for disabled people and those over 60, the use of the passes in Devon will now be restricted to journeys beginning after 9.30 am. To allow pass-holders in West Devon to make best use of their passes, the times of many of the services run by Tavistock Community Transport (Tavistock Country Bus) are being altered with effect from April 2. All Tavistock town services which were timed to start at 9.10am or 9.15am will now start at 9.30 and country services which follow on from those will also run between five and fifteen minutes later. Return journeys on the town services later in the morning will not change; the return bus to Chillaton and Lewdown on Tuesdays will also remain unchanged. However, the 1.15pm return bus to Launceston on Thursdays and to Stoke Climsland on Fridays will be put back to 1.30 so that passengers' shopping time in Tavistock is not reduced. The route of the Tuesday country service is being shortened to cut out Sydenham and Portgate as that section has been very little used; it will be a more direct route serving Lewdown, Coryton, Chillaton and Lamerton. There will be no changes to the times of the service 113 to Newton Abbot on Wednesdays, but the section from Tavistock to Yelverton will be run separately and re-numbered 112. The effect of this is that pass-holders travelling from Tavistock to Newton will have to pay the single fare to Yelverton rather that the single fare to Newton Abbot. This will not affect pass-holders getting on at Yelverton or Dousland as the bus leaves Yelverton at 9.30. To minimise any disadvantage to passengers paying cash fares, a £5 day ticket will be introduced allowing unlimited travel on all Wednesday services. The timing restriction on use of passes does not apply anywhere on Saturdays and does not apply to Cornish pass-holders making journeys which start or finish in Cornwall. Leaflets with the new times are available on the bus, from the Tavistock Information Centre and from Tavistock Library. Telephone enquiries may be made on Tavistock 617228 or Milton Abbot 870433.
