Bude and Holsworthy are set to lose their near-daily bus route when a new enhanced Stagecoach South West timetable comes into play at the beginning of April.

The route between Barnstaple and Tavistock will be enhanced but at the cost of the Bude to Holsworthy service.

From Sunday, April 2, local bus operator Stagecoach South West will be introducing a number of timetable changes across their network, which are predominantly centered around improving the punctuality of their bus services. 

Stagecoach says they "want to make sure that your bus arrives at your stop at the time you’re expecting it". 

Over the last few months, specialist Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software which uses real-time updates from onboard tracking systems has been used to inform the new timetables being introduced. 

Stagecoach says they have undertaken this review to provide "robust new timetables, which reflect post-pandemic traffic congestion and demand patterns".

Following work in partnership with Devon County Council, the Service 85 (Barnstaple – Holsworthy - Tavistock) timetable will be enhanced from April 2. Service 85 will be extended beyond Holsworthy to Tavistock via Launceston, providing a number of new journey opportunities. The new timetable, operating Monday to Friday and Saturday, provides up to five journeys per day in each direction. 

However, Service 185 (Bude to Holsworthy), which contains one journey in each direction from Monday to Saturday will be withdrawn as a result of changes to Service 85. 

Other changes in the local area include minor changes to the Service 6A/6 (Exeter – Okehampton / Okehampton - Bude) to improve punctuality and following a review of capacity requirements on Service 72 (Barnstaple to Shebbear via Newton Tracey and Great Torrington) with Devon County Council, there are some minor changes to the timetable. The 1635 Monday to Friday College Days journey from Barnstaple to Shebbear will be withdrawn, however, there will continue to be a journey on Service 71 at 1635 from Barnstaple to Torrington. 

More information is available via the Stagecoach website www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/south-west/south-west-timetables