Devon County Council has approved schemes to improve the reliability of bus services in Barnstaple, Exeter and Newton Abbot.

This 2.8 million GBP investment aims to encourage more people to use the region’s bus services. It follows Devon County Council (DCC) being awarded 14.1 million GBP in Bus Service Improvement Plan funding in 2022.

The schemes will include a mixture of infrastructure improvements and new technology.

Exeter

In Exeter, the schemes aim to enhance the Exeter Eastern Bus Corridor (between Sidwell Street and Pinhoe Sainsbury’s) and the Exeter Central Bus Corridor (between Paris Street Roundabout to Middlemoor Roundabout).

On these major routes, several measures will enhance bus priority, including improvements to traffic signal efficiency and monitoring, and the coordination of signalised crossings and junctions.

Five Variable Message Signs (VMS) will also be upgraded on these corridors to show a greater range of messaging to road users. This will help improve traffic flow.

What’s more, infrastructure improvements include extending the bus lane at Livery Dole by introducing pre-signals and increasing bus lane operation times on all bus lanes.

Devon County Council will also be investing in improvements to bus stops, shelters and real-time information displays along both corridors.

It is anticipated that these measures could save 3 minutes 20 seconds per bus on the Eastern Corridor and approximately 4 minutes per bus on the Central Corridor.

Newton Abbot

The Newton Abbot scheme will enhance a route through the Town Centre, from Penn Inn Roundabout on the A381 towards Balls Corner Roundabout.

This corridor serves 28 bus routes, with over 200 buses daily on Kingsteignton Road and around 40 buses daily on Torquay Road.

The proposals include modifications to existing signalised junctions and crossings to prioritise buses. Specifically, by extending green traffic signals when a bus is detected, wait times will be reduced.

Barnstaple

The scheme in Barnstaple will evaluate the efficiency of the existing bus lane from Chaddiford Lane towards Barnstaple Town Centre.

It aims to speed up bus journeys by removing the requirement for buses to stop in the bus lane at two sets of traffic lights, as well as improving crossings for people walking and cycling.

These schemes are all subject to the resolution of the traffic regulation order and funding being confirmed.

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