Big drop in bus fares to boost public transport

RESIDENTS will pay significantly less to travel by bus from next week under a new pilot scheme led by Cornwall Council to encourage more people to travel by bus.

The reduced bus fares pilot scheme is a first for a local authority and follows a successful bid by the council for £23.5m Government funding.

It will mean adult bus passengers will, on average, pay one-third less for their fares when new summer timetables are introduced on Sunday, April 10.

The pilot, which aims to encourage more people to hop on the bus and leave their cars at home, will run for the next four years.

It is hoped the scheme will cut car emissions as road transport currently accounts for around a quarter of all of Cornwall’s carbon emissions.

The council has worked with bus operators to transform Cornwall’s public transport network in recent years following a government Devolution Deal in 2016.

Most of Cornwall’s buses are among the newest in the country, stops have been upgraded and many now feature Real Time Passenger Information displays to give passengers up to the minute information about their journeys.

The latest improvement has seen operators now accepting each other’s tickets for travel – all making public transport easier to understand and use.

The reduced bus fares pilot is a central pillar of Cornwall’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, submitted to Government in October 2021 as a bid for transformational funding over the next three years that will further develop the bus network.

Philip Desmonde, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “I am very pleased and proud we have been able to deliver the amazing value for money outcomes on our bus routes throughout Cornwall. Great for work, school and reaching the county services whilst contributing to lowering our carbon footprint.

“Road transport is major contributor of carbon dioxide emissions and research shows that around a third of journeys made by car are of less than 5km. We all need to think about how we travel and I hope that this pilot will encourage more people to make more sustainable choices. If we all swap even one regular journey, it will make a difference.

“I invite people to try the simple pleasure of riding on one of our wonderful buses and experiencing our beautiful Cornish countryside, towns, villages and coastal scenes.”

Linda Taylor, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “This is very welcome news which will make a real difference to our residents and ultimately, our environment.

“Making our buses better value and easier to use will give our residents a much more attractive, sustainable travel option and is instrumental in our journey to helping Cornwall become carbon neutral.”

Richard Stevens, managing director at Go Cornwall Bus, said: “We are delighted to be a partner in this innovative scheme, for years people have told us price is one of the main barriers to regular bus use. This pilot seeks to remove price as a barrier, enabling us to offer excellent value for money fares. I hope that every Cornwall resident will seek to add bus travel to their regular lives, helping to secure a sustainable, connected future for the rest of our lives.”