The promise of worse to come

Following on from yesterdays post we had this story on This is Plymouth:

CORNWALL Council has said it has been left with "no alternative" but to make changes to the county's concessionary bus fare scheme.

A "significant" reduction in Government funding has led to the authority having to make changes. Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council's portfolio holder for transportation and highways, said: "We appreciate the importance of the bus network to people in Cornwall and already spend £4.5million subsiding around 60 per cent of bus routes, mainly services to rural areas and weekend and evening operation.

"The revised recommendation to reduce the level of reimbursement to a level equating to 50 per cent of normal fares rather than the original figure of 43.9 per cent achieved by rigidly following Government guidelines, means that we will still be paying bus operators well above the national average."

Cornwall Council's bus operators currently receive 73.5 per cent of the average adult fare as reimbursement.

Members of the authority's cabinet have agreed to delay introducing the changes until 1 April next year.

Cornwall Council cabinet members have already written to MPs across the county requesting them to make representations to Government to increase funding for bus services to rural local authorities as part of the review of local government financing.

Sheryll Murray, South East Cornwall MP, said: "I have had a few letters from councillors and I do fully understand that we are in a difficult economic period.

Full story

Its not all bad news though. There is actually an improved Sunday service on 592/593 for Western Greyhound later this month:

On 29th October 2011, following numerous passenger requests, we are delighted to confirm that a Sunday service on the 593 is now introduced to provide new links between Newquay, Bodmin, and Liskeard, also connecting with the 592 buses to and from Plymouth. Buses leave Newquay at 0905, 1105, 1305 and 1505 linking into the 592 to Plymouth and returning from Liskeard at 1030, 1230, 1430 and 1630 to Newquay. We look forward to seeing you on the new Newquay to Plymouth Sunday through-service!

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Elsewhere on the net

• Heading for Devon in the glorious low October sun we enjoyed last Sunday we see Tamar II (?) crossing the river from Cornwall. Beautiful! PTOTPA
• It is more than likely that the vast majority of Sheffielders, and even many transport historians, have never known that the estate was named after the road and not vice versa! Public Transport Experience
• ... featured the obligatory London bus—in a document that specifically excludes the capital. Omnibuses
• Bus wars and competition. Mainly things of the past, surely? After all, deregulation was 25 years ago now Dorset Bus Blog
• First thing of note, is that Ryde depot has become London General's Isle of Wight outstation! Southern England Bus Scene