Ipswich Buses planned strike: emergency timetable

Ipswich Buses planned strike: emergency timetable, updates for parents and car park and travel advice

Ipswich Buses has published an emergency timetable for Monday 10th October for use if a one-day strike called by Unite the Union goes ahead.

The company is still committed to continuing talks in a bid to resolve the dispute but plans to get as many services as it can on the road, using double-decker buses where practical in order to help as many passengers as possible.

There will be a standard fare of £1 for all journeys – passes will be valid as usual. There will be no departures from Tower Ramparts after 7pm and most routes will not start until 7am. Full timetables are available from the Tower Ramparts Travel Shop and on the Ipswich Buses websitewww.ipswichbuses.co.uk

  

Ipswich Buses plans to operate a reduced Park & Ride service at both Copdock and Martlesham. This service is managed by Suffolk County Council.

The emergency timetable is attached below but additional changes affecting schools and colleges are listed here:

·      Suffolk County Council has announced that all dedicated school bus services (i.e. contracted services specifically for schools) are being covered by other bus operators and will clearly display the relevant service number. 

·      Parents of children who use public bus services (irrespective of whether the County Council pays for their travel or not) are advised to check the Suffolk On Board website www.suffolkonboard.com for details of whether the service will be running at a reduced frequency or not at all. 

·      Two County Council subsidised public services are also affected: Service 111 from Bildeston and 173 between Woodbridge and Felixstowe are to be replaced by another operator and Service 202 from Shotley will have two journeys operating to get students to and from college only.

·      Ipswich Buses will be operating the One sixth-form college routes from Felixstowe and Stowmarket.

·      Carter’s Coaches routes will not be affected by the strike action.

  

Car parks offer

Overall, it is expected there will be more congestion if the industrial action goes ahead. More people will be using cars to get into work, on school runs or entering or passing through the town.

As the town’s principal car park operator, Ipswich Borough Council plans to help reduce that congestion by cutting the cost of a day’s parking in its long-stay car parks to a maximum of £3 (from £5).

The Council will have staff at each of its main car parks to assist motorists find the best car parking.

Its own staff are being encouraged to adopt a more flexible working pattern to avoid the usual rush hour, and is encouraging car sharing and other ways of getting to work.

To find out the latest information on bus services on Monday, along with available car parking spaces updates, use @ipswichbuses on Twitter and the company’s Facebook page.

PLANNED EMERGENCY TIMETABLE – MONDAY 10^TH OCTOBER

South-west Ipswich

Route 13 will run every 30 minutes and 15/15A will both be running every 60 minutes. Routes 12, 14 and 16 will not run. Ipswich Buses hopes some customers on these less busy routes will be able to walk to the routes that are running. Carters’ route 93 also serves London Road and Carters will run services as normal. There will be double-deckers on Park & Ride providing extra seats for One sixth-form college but this route will also only run every 30 minutes.

North-west Ipswich

Route 8 will run every 30 minutes and routes 9/10 will both be running every 60 minutes. First route 88 also serves Norwich Road and 89 serves Bramford Road and will run normally. Unfortunately, routes 17 and 19 will not be running. Some of the customers on these less busy routes might be able to walk to Norwich Road or Henley Road. Galloways' 115 and 116 services will be running normally on Henley Road.

North-east Ipswich

Route X5 to Ipswich Hospital will run every 30 minutes and 6/6A will both be running every 60 minutes. Passengers might also wish to use the Park & Ride between the town centre and the hospital stop on the Colchester Road/Woodbridge Road roundabout. First routes 64, 65 and 66 run frequently along Woodbridge Road and these will operate as normal. First Buses’ route 75 will be running normally along Spring Road and serves the Hospital. First’s service 59 to the Northgate area (off-peak only) will also be running as normal.

South-east Ipswich

Route X3 will run every 30 minutes with journeys to Ransomes Euro Park at peak times. Routes X1 and 4 will not run. First Buses provides alternative services to Nacton Road and Gainsborough on Routes 60/61 and to Felixstowe Road on services 76 and 77.

Wherstead Road and Shotley

A reduced timetable will apply on route 98/98A. Carters’ routes will run as normal. First X7 also serves Wherstead Road.

Country buses

Suffolk County Council is making arrangements for another company to run routes 111 and 173. Carters’ routes (92-96 etc) will run normally.

School and college buses

Ipswich Buses will run routes 11A, 18A, 501, 502, 914 and 988 as normal. Route 11B will not run. Other school contract buses will be provided by other operators for Suffolk County Council.

Town centre shuttle

The free town centre shuttle, route 38, will not be running.

Winter Workshops For Suffolk Residents

Are you prepared for winter? 

This is your chance to find out how to be totally prepared for the nasty winter days that are surely coming our way soon.

Attend a Winter Workshop by Suffolk County Council.

Come and listen to the experts discussing how to best prepare yourself.

Experts from the Meteorological Office, Environment Agency and Suffolk County Council Highways will provide vital information on winter preparedness to the local community and existing and new Winter Gritting Volunteers.

Friday 27th November 2015 10:00 am - 12:00 Noon
Endeavour House, Suffolk County Council
Britten Room 8 Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX

or

Monday 14th December 2015 10:00 am - 12:00 Noon Endeavour House, Suffolk County Council – Elizabeth Room 8 Russell Road, Ipswich IP1 2BX


Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit – Welcome and Introduction
Met Office – Weather Warnings & Being Prepared
Suffolk County Council Highways – Winter Gritting
Environment Agency – Flood Warnings

To book a place, please contact Agnes Jung: agnes.jung@suffolk.gov.uk 01473 433 431

Agenda 09:50 Coffee and registration 10:05 Joint Emergency Planning Unit – Welcome and Introduction 10:20 Met Office - Weather Warnings and Being Prepared 10:50 Suffolk County Council Highways – Winter Gritting 11:20 Environment Agency - Flood Warnings 11:50 Questions

Suffolk county Council Winter Plan

Bulletin 1 - September 2015

As we reach the end of the summer there is now a month to go until the winter season starts.

Teams from Suffolk Highways are already busy making detailed preparations for the potential challenges ahead.

 In Suffolk we’ll be treating 3,360 kilometres / 2,100 miles of network each time there is a risk of ice and our gritters.

 In the build up to October Suffolk Highways will be checking routes, servicing the fleet and training the teams to ensure a first class service is provided to the public.

 Don’t be surprised if you see a gritter with a snowplough even if the sun is shining and the weather is mild – failure to prepare means preparing to fail!

 We’ll be providing another update to you on the work during September

FREE Triple P Teen Parent Group Ipswich

Highly recommend this programme to help with parents as outlined below. Attended a Triple P course to see for myself and thought it was excellent - and it's free!

•     Triple P allows parents to choose techniques that work best for them and their families. We provide the information, but you choose the ideas to use and that will work! •    Triple P gives parents proven tips and suggestions about handling common behavioural and developmental issues in their children.  •     Triple P involves emphasising positive communication, and planning ahead to prevent a range of issues PRESENTERS:        Bernie Stephenson Parenting Coordinator        Carole Williams Senior Parenting Practitioner

VENUE  ASDA Community Room Whitehouse Ind Estate,  Goddard Road, Ipswich, IP1 5PD COURSE DATES:    Group 1            Monday 19th October 6pm-8pm   Group 2            Monday 2nd November 6pm-8pm   Group 3            Monday 9th November 6pm-8pm   Group 4            Monday 16th November 6pm-8pm   Telephone session Monday 23rd November   Telephone session Monday 30th November   Telephone session  Monday 7th December (times of telephone calls to be confirmed.)   Group 5            Monday 14th December  6pm-8-pm To Book a place contact: Bernie Stephenson Mobile:07718100891 Carole Williams: 07921941620

SCC elections

Quote from Ipswich Spy blog post posted today on Urban/Rural divide


'A final reminder to David Ellesmere. For all Mr Miliband’s talk of One Nation Labour, and for all his assertion that the Tories are so unpopular in Suffolk’s two largest urban areas, 

Labour didn’t win a single seat outside of Ipswich and Lowestoft. 

They didn’t retake the seats they lost in 2009. They were seven short. 

This could well be because, as has become clear, Labour lost more votes to UKIP than the Tories did. 

If Mr Ellesmere is relying on these results to hand him victory in 2015, he should think again.'


No need for me to add anything.

Launch of election Campaign for Ipswich Conservatives

It’s election time again! The Conservatives campaign all the year around, but you will see more of us over the next few weeks. Our candidates for the County Council, and for the two Borough Council elections, are campaigning hard and hope you will support their message of low taxes, quality services and policies designed to reward aspiration.

Conservatives already have County Councillors in Bixley, Chantry, Gainsborough, Rushmere and Whitehouse & Whitton Divisions. That’s more than half the people of Ipswich represented by Conservative County Councillors. Conservative County Councillors who voted to freeze council tax again this year. But Labour Borough Councillors voted to up the tax, meaning everyone will have to pay more in the future.

Last time Labour were in power at Endeavour House, the County Council HQ, they hiked up our Council Tax by more than 40% in four years. That included a rise of 18.5% in one year, which still costs most Ipswich households almost a hundred pounds every year.

We don’t need to look to history to see what Labour’s instinct is. Their leader on SCC is also an Ipswich Borough Councillor. This year he voted in favour of another council tax rise, whilst approving of wasteful spending.

Conservatives pledge to freeze council tax for the next four years. We will ensure that the county council lives within it’s means, and that you, the taxpayer, will not have to pick up the tab for Labour’s mistakes.

The Conservative candidates for Ipswich are:

Bixley – County Councillor Alan Murray

Chantry – Kevin Algar and Nadia Cenci (two seats)
Bridge - Bob Hall

Gainsborough  - County Councillor Carol Debman
Priory Heath - Mark Felix-Thomas

Rushmere – County Councillor Judy Terry

St Helen’s – Katherine Parkinson

St John’s – Eddy Phillips

St Margaret’s & Westgate – Lee Reynolds & Chris Stewart (two seats)

Whitehouse & Whitton – David Goldsmith & County Councillor Robin Vickery

There are also two by elections on Ipswich Borough Council, one in Alexandra and one in Whitehouse. Our candidates for these two seats are:

Alexandra – Eddy Phillips

Whitehouse – Paul West

Ipswich Travel, Roadworks and all that Stuff sent to improve our Patience!

With thanks to Ipswich Central for sending me the e-mail with the following information for Ipswich residents;

Travel Ipswich Information 
 

With roadworks continuing across the town until 2014 there are a variety of sources which are regularly updated to provide information about what is happening, where and when. We will also use our twitter account @ipscentral to provide interim updates.

Information can be found in the following places:

• A breakdown of the coming weeks works on the allaboutipswich Travel Ipswich page, updated every Friday.
• travelipswich.co.uk provides an overview of the project and a breakdown of the areas that will be affected. 
• roadworks.org allows you to search for Ipswich and view all current roadworks.

​If you have any enquiries about Travel Ipswich please contact Suffolk County Council directly at travelipswich@suffolk.gov.uk.