Compare Llandudno, Wales with Bournemouth. Both enjoy good reputations. In the age of cheap continental holidays and even cheaper flights, both have more or less survived if not intact then certainly stronger than many similar resorts. And both are expecting to see increased visitor numbers this year. It’s the recession, you know.
Visitor numbers is one reason why the new Arriva Buses Wales today launches its open top tour of Llandudno. In total contrast, Bournemouth will for the first time ever see no local open top buses at all (and, indeed, none on the Bournemouth-Lymingtons, either).
Today and only today, you get an opportunity to ride on the service 1 Llandudno-Conway service free of charge, albeit at half the frequency it will operate when it starts in earnest, tomorrow. Tomorrow, an all day ticket will cost £7.
Till now, open tops in North Wales have been in serial decline and have stabilised at just two short routes, east and west of neighbouring Rhyl, one of which is high season only. The 1960s were different, when Crosville Motor Services operated a range of open top routes across the Welsh region. There was a minor renaissance during the immediate post-privatisation years.
Llandudno is an exception. It already sees City Sightseeing franchised open tops, in the shape of an hourly Llandudno-Conway service, which increases to half-hourly during high season. The operator is Alpine Travel who also runs a vintage coach trip around the Great Orme four times a day on the same route chosen by Arriva. Arriva Buses Wales and Alpine last competed in 1995, when Alpine left the local bus market on the Llandudno-Rhyl corridor to concentrate on private hires and school transport. Llasndudo-Rhyl was then half-hourly but increased after Welsh free travel to every 10 minutes but was reduced to every 12, last month.
We understand that the vintage coach won’t be the only old ’um going around the Great Orme as Arriva has brought an ex-Crosville Bristol VR back from its semi-retirement for the new venture.
Additional information from Omnibuses’ Northern Correspondent
Saturday, 27 June 2009
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2 comments:
I believe the reason for the use of the VR alongside an even older AN68 and an ECW Oly is a weight restriction on the route?
Hope the visitors are willing to pay the fare being charged - it may actually work better in Wales as the older 'English' visitors will not have the benefit of free travel on other local services !!!
The VR, 3992 YMB 512W was still in frontline service at Rhyl up to when it moved to Llandudno for the new service. YMB is now branded for the route (looking very good indeed).
The AN68, 3980 GKA 149L is considered on loan from Southport. It was trialed on the route but found that it cannot safely clear the low and tight Conwy arch.
Yesterday saw YMB work from West Shore in Llandudno and around Conwy whilst GKA link up with YMB at the West Shore and went up the Orme. This will be the score until the former Crosville Olympian C212 GTU is ready for open top duties (still been worked on at the Bootle workshops in expected around the 14th July I was told on the day).
Indeed there is a weight restriction on the Orme and a height restriction at Conwy as already mentioned.
I sampled the service for most of the day on Sunday I it is worth the £7 all day fare. The fare, is called the 'Pride of Llandudno Day Ticket' which will also allow use of all other ARRIVA Buses Wales services.
Currently the Scania 3995 G35 HKY has gone to Southport to cover the open top route there (Snowdon Sherpa branded) whilst Metrobus 3977 KYV 663X covers the S2 'Snowdon Sherpa'.
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