BUS company Stagecoach has announced bus timetable changes which it says are aimed at ensuring the company’s service remain ‘viable’.

Some concessions have been made to accommodate staff and patients needing transport to Torbay Hospital.

From October 2, Stagecoach says it will be introducing the new services.

The changes come as the company is facing continued criticism over its services and will be the subject of a public inquiry by the Traffic Commission, says the new timetables will reflect ‘seasonal changes in customer demand’.

It says the changes, which affect routes across Devon, are designed to ‘better cater’ for lower customer demand over the autumn and winter months and ensure bus services remain viable.

A number of seasonal changes will be introduced to the network, primarily affecting people travelling in the Torbay area.

The bus operator has designed the changes to offer a more ‘sustainable’ bus network to ‘attract greater passenger numbers over the long term’.

It says the ‘focus remains on maintaining vital journeys and connections and to provide a network that best meets the changing needs of the communities’.

Seasonal changes will occur on Routes 12, 17/17A, 18, 31, 35A/35C, 271.

Service 12, which operates between Newton Abbot and Brixham, Torquay and Paignton will be affected.

The Saturday daytime frequency will be reduced from 10 to 12 minutes while on Sundays and Public Holidays the daytime frequency will be reduced from 15 minutes to 20 minutes.

Service 271, which operates from Bovey Tracey to Widecombe will operate on Saturdays only during October with the last day of operation for 2022 on Saturday October 29.

Service 2, from Exeter to Newton Abbot via Dawlish will see a number of ‘minor’ changes introduced at the start and end of the day. There are no changes to the route or frequency of buses.

For services 13/13C/13D from Kingsteignton to Brixham, Stagecoach says ‘due to low customer demand, the Service 13 route and timetable are being redesigned to provide a simpler, sustainable service for the future with more unique areas served’.

The route will be amended to operate between Brixham and Torbay Hospital only, with the section of route between Torbay Hospital and Kingsteignton withdrawn.

Service 13 will operate every 60 minutes Monday to Friday daytime, with no service at the weekend.

To accommodate staff working at Torbay Hospital, the timetable has been designed to accommodate a pre-8.00am arrival and an additional evening return journey at 8.15pm will be introduced.

A replacement new Service 53, operated under contract to Devon County Council, will run between Kingsteignton and Torbay Hospital, for six journeys a day Monday to Friday, providing a replacement for the withdrawn section of route on Service 13.

Connections at Torbay Hospital will allow customers to connect between Services 13 and 53.

A limited Saturday timetable will be operated by Country Bus.

For service 22, between Dawlish Warren and South Devon College via St Marychurch and Paignton, will be ‘improved and simplified’, with journeys operating every 60 minutes along the full length of route between St Marychurch and South Devon College.

On service 39 Exeter to Newton Abbot via Bovey Tracey, there are a number of minor changes to the timetable at the start and end of the day, with some journeys withdrawn or curtailed.

On Saturdays, journeys that operate between Newton Abbot and Bovey Tracey will be withdrawn however, there will still be journeys between Newton Abbot and Exeter via Bovey Tracey every 60 minutes.

There are minor changes to the Sunday and Public Holidays timetable, with some first and last journeys withdrawn due to ‘low customer demand’.