First of all, you can download the new timetable here. (Thanks to Sean for pointing this out).
Secondly, we’ve had a reply from Regal’s Managing Director about where the buses that terminate at Asda will turn round:
“I’m sorry it has taken a bit of time to get back to you, We will be turning down past Asda on Priory Chase, this will be only on the terminating services which are 3 times a day Monday to Friday. You’re correct with regards to the roundabout but I will instruct the drivers to continue up the road to turn around outside the school.
We will keep this under review.”
Regal are clearly trying to respond in a positive way. Will turning round outside the school be better and safer?
Just hope schedule does not correspond with beginning and ending of school day will have to joust with the chelsea tractors.Regal are trying to be constructive and should be applauded as opposed to first national .
Good luck to the driver of the 15.01 service and any others that co-incide with school times – they will never be able to get down the road let alone turn their bus round!!
CCR
Sorry not positive enough! I am very disappointed by this ill considered decision by yet another bus company. I assume the number 3 bus terminus i.e. The actual bus stop will still be outside ASDA where the 24 currently halts. Therefore this new service (albeit a proposed 3 times a day at 2 hourly intervals – at least at the moment!) is still an inconvenience for ASDA’s neighbours as the buses will be parked up for 8 minutes (calculation from timetable). I also fail to see how this service will significantly benefit ASDA customers as they will have a long wait for the next bus so why bother with it at all? What will be the next proposal? A bus shelter?
The 15:15 departure will also coincide with the start of the school run so the bus may have problems turning around outside the school because of parked vehicles? This remains to be seen…
I will keep repeating this until I’m blue in the face but Priory Chase is just not suitable for a bus route full stop!
When I click on the link it comes up Could not render the page, any other links available?
Geoff the link is here:
http://www.regalbusways.com/NewServices/upcoming/Number3ServiceChelmsford_to_Southend_040411.pdf
If it doesn’t work, let us know and we’ll email the timetable to you.
REGAL BUSWAYS TAKE NOTE. Running late is not a good way to start a new bus route!!! On day two of the new No. 3 bus service from Asda to Southend, the bus scheduled leave at 1315pm was 20 minutes late.
As the No.3 was not at Asda on time I walk briskly from bus stop to bus stop eastward along Rawreth Lane ending up at Hambro Parade. I had a dentist appointment in London Road Westcliff and could not chance waiting for the No.3 so I chose to use the No.20 that arrived at 1328pm. As we reached Rayleigh station the No.3 passed us heading towards Asda. This meant that it would not arrive there until 1335pm. As I stated above, 20 minutes late.
This meant that the nearest stop to my appointment address was Southend Hospital and another brisk walk of 3/4 mile.
I welcomed the news that Regal Busways had taken over this route but they will have to do better than this if they are to make a success of it.
You can probably guess I WAS NOT HAPPY!!!
I was quite happy to learn that the number 3 bus was replacing the 24 but am disappointed that it is only calling at Asda 3 times a day and 2 hours and a bit in between, it is after all only a very small store, cant see anyone wanting to stay in it for over an hour let alone over 2 hours. This now means Asda is a no no to quite a few people.
Ive been on the number 3 a couple of times and its a very small bus considering the number 24 could get quite full at times very narrow as well, not much good really.
Betty, I think you should look at the No.3 bus timetable. There is a two hourly service past Asda during the day, involving buses going to and from Chelmsford. The three that pull into Priory Chase are at times between the Chelmsford buses and make this an hourly service in all. The problem is that there is no bus stop in Rawreth Lane opposite Asda for the Southend bound bus. It would probably be better to move the bus stop opposite Laburnum Way to a position nearer to Priory Chase.
Another problem I have found is that the punctuality of buses is poor and they rarely arrive on time (see my post above dated 5.4.11).
very poor service timewise, people have been saying they are waiting 20/25 minutes for a late bus, not a good thing, think they havent planned timetable very well, probably did it when traffic was light.
As for walking from Asda up a hill to the main road, trying to cross it walk uphill again to the bus stop with a load of shopping, dont think so.
Luckily for quite a lot of people now the Co-operative in Rayleigh has much improved,
Advice To Holders Of Concessionary Travel Passes. I travelled from Bedloes Corner to Canvey on the Regal Busways No1. bus yesterday (15 minutes late) which had an Essex County Council official on board checking bus passes. We spoke together for a while and he said he was ensuring not only that the rightful person was using the pass but also that they were using an Essex County Council pass and not the old District Council one. If you have not switched to the new pass I suggest you do so.