Local Mobility in Totnes & District
Cars are clearly the transport mode of choice for most of the 23,000+ residents living the district, and although 18% of households don’t own a car, 45% have just one, while 2% have 4 or more. The central roads of Totnes and the villages were built before cars and driving through the middle and parking is naturally difficult, often making these busy roads dangerous. The rural hinterland is predominantly farmland and there is an extensive network of narrow lanes, with some passing places for cars; some of these are notoriously dangerous with poor visibility and no pavements. A Car share scheme has recently begun in Totnes, but has had problems finding a parking place. There are some off-road cycle and footpaths, including the extensive route which links Totnes station with the Steiner School at Staverton and (apart from a short stretch on the Plains where the cyclist has to take to the road) on to Ashprington. There are recommended cycle routes on quieter lanes which link up, and some plans for more off-road cycle and footpaths, for example at Littlehempston a short off road link is due to be developed later in 2009, and another at Berry Pomeroy is currently under consideration.
One key service is the excellent Community Bus service we know as Bob the Bus (whose passenger numbers trebled in the past 2 years). The Totnes Rickshaw Company has brought in 3 Indian (motorbike based) rickshaws that run on recycled biodiesel from the chip shops, bringing people up the steep rise of Fore street to the Market Square and the higher Narrows. These link in with expressway buses and local village services on the Plains, the Dart River boat services, the open top Round Robin summer buses and the mainline Totnes railway station.
The casual observer could be seduced into thinking a comprehensive public transport service has been taken care of. However, Bob the Bus is a private voluntary service, the drivers give their time for free to provide mobility, yet few of the buses run at capacity. The Rickshaw taxis, despite many attempts have yet to be granted a Hackney licence by the local council. Totnes town enjoys a good bus service, but access to and from the rural hinterland is very limited and fares can be prohibitive. There are no early or late services to the all the housing estates. Some of the surrounding villages have no service, Diptford for example has had no public transport since Beeching’s disastrous transport plans of the 1950s took out the Primrose Railway which linked the village and its farming community with Totnes. The bus services to the other parishes are not all served by a daily service; Stoke Gabriel (pop. 1,349) for example only has a Friday bus service to Totnes. Many roads either are too dangerous for children to walk or cycle to school or are perceived to be too dangerous, which leads to the same result.
While Totnes station is conveniently close to the town with good services and a welcoming café, most commuters to Exeter and Plymouth travel by car along the busy A38. The train route from Exeter to Plymouth is one of the most scenic in the country; following the wide mouth of the Ex full of boats, the pretty town and rich red cliffs of Dawlish, clinging to the coast and diving into tunnels at Teignmouth, heading on to Dartmoor and Plymouth via Totnes and a beautiful and inviting rural landscape, but at busy times, the train itself is often overcrowded. Little freight arrives or departs at Totnes Railway station, not even the mail. Freight arrives in juggernauts, which often get jammed in the middle of Totnes or clog the already busy A384 through road which links Torquay to the A38 and Dartmouth. Goods leaving the area take similar routes by lorry. The old Totnes to Buckfastleigh steam train operates in the summer months, essentially as a tourist attraction.
The majority of tourists visiting Totnes arrive by car using the Round Robin trips for pleasure. Caravanning, camping, walking and cycling holidays are all popular. Car parking is tight even in the winter and in the summer on a hot day, tempers can rise as cars circle the town and the villages looking for a parking space. Totnes’ Christmas market draws shoppers and visitors in from a wide radius, car parking is free on those nights, and a Park and Ride scheme operates, but the number of parking spaces remains the same. The recent introduction of parking meters in Totnes has not been popular with everyone.
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