A free taxi service is being laid on for people who usually travel between Sidbury and Sidmouth by bus while road works are being carried out on the A375.

While changes are also being made to school transport timings. 

The A375 south of Sidbury will be closed for essential Wales & West Utilities work between Monday 16 and Friday 27 October 2023. 

Bus service 9 is a Devon County Council (DCC) supported service and will be unable to serve the village during this period.

To replace this service DCC has arranged for a taxi to run at certain times of the day, Monday to Saturday, between Sidbury and Sidmouth.

It will also drop and pick up passengers at Hare & Hounds if required, for the benefit of passengers travelling towards Honiton.

The service will be operated by Peak Taxis who will collect passengers from the main bus stop in Sidbury.

It will only serve the bus stop, Hare and Hounds and Sidmouth Triangle and not stop in-between.

Passengers wishing to use the service need to book by 6pm on the day before travel by calling (01395) 513322. This will be a free service.

An off-peak service plus an additional journey at 1800 from Sidmouth will be provided between Monday 16 and Friday 20 October.

Students on DCC school transport affected by the closure (route SID01 to Sidmouth College) will also be accommodated and timetables will be adjusted to allow for extra journey time for the diversion.

DCC’s transport team will communicate these changes directly to students and to the school within the next few days.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, the local member for Sidmouth and DCC’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management said: “We know that many people rely on this bus service during the day and the temporary suspension of bus service 9 will be disruptive, that’s why we’ve taken the decision to set up a replacement taxi service.

“However places are limited so please book your journey the day before, by  6pm.”

The following taxi timetables will operate:

Monday 16 until Friday 20 October 2023

 SIDBURY, Old Coach House: 1000 and 1200

Hare and Hounds, 1007, 1207

SIDMOUTH, Triangle Stop B, 1027, 1227

SIDMOUTH, Triangle Stop B, 1030, 1330, 1800

Hare and Hounds, SIDBURY, Old Coach House, 1051, 1057, 1351, 1357, 1821,1827

Saturday 21 and Monday 23 to Friday 27 October 2023 

SIDBURY, Old Coach House, 0820, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600

Hare and Hounds, 0827, 1007, 1207, 1407, 1607

SIDMOUTH, Triangle Stop B, 0847, 1027, 1227, 1427, 1627

SIDMOUTH, Triangle Stop B, 1030, 1330, 1520, 1800

Hare and Hounds, 1051, 1351, 1541, 1821

SIDBURY, Old Coach House, 1057, 1357, 1547, 1827