The Cornish Road to March 2028

Cornwall Council has launched a bus market engagement exercise as part of its participation in the Department for Transport (DfT) Franchising and Bus Reform pilot.

The engagement process opened on 9 December and will run to 14 January 2026. Through it, bus operators and other industry stakeholders have been invited to assist the local authority in developing a future delivery model for bus services in the county.

Under the DfT pilot, Cornwall Council will investigate potential models including Enhanced Partnership Plus and various franchising approaches. The latter will capture different levels of risk sharing between operators and the authority; phasing; and procurement methods.

The council describes the engagement work as “a soft market testing exercise” and says it will provide critical insights into interest and help to inform the procurement strategy for bus services in Cornwall.

March 2028 may sound like a long way ahead but that will soon go by. It will be interesting to see what model Cornwall go with.

With luck this should be my last posting made on my trusty PC which has come to the end of its natural life. There may be a bit of a wait while I get everything installed and up and running on the new pc. Based on previous experience there is always something I have missed…

Callywith Issues?

Another news item from Cornwall..

A Cornish college has responded to safety concerns on its student buses after Cornwall Council was told a “serious accident is waiting to happen”.

Callywith College has denied that buses have exceeded their legal capacity.

Reform UK councillor Sean Smith, who represents St Cleer and Menheniot, took to the floor at a Cornwall Council meeting on Tuesday (November 25) to air his concerns about student travel to the college in Bodmin.

He said: “Is it acceptable that 70-seater double decker coaches have up to 100 tickets sold at a fee of £850 per student? This causes over-subscription of seating capacity leaving students standing on aisles and stairs.

“Taking the route from Liskeard to Callywith College at Bodmin, students are regularly standing in the aisles and on stairs for the entire journey on the A38 through the Glynn Valley – one of the most dangerous roads in Cornwall. Is it acceptable on safety grounds, moral grounds or any grounds at all because from what I see it is looking like a serious accident waiting to happen?

“An accident that every one of us in this chamber may regret not taking action on and this completely contradicts Cornwall’s own road safety message.”

Cornwall Council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet member for transport Cllr Dan Rogerson acknowledged that Cllr Smith had met with Callywith College to talk about the contract, which the college operates with the Stagecoach bus company. He stressed it was not arranged through Cornwall Council.

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On the safety question, Cllr Rogerson said: “All transport operators are regulated and have to comply with that. I’m sure he has been raising any concerns he has with the proper authorities as well.”

Cllr Rogerson said he understood changes were being made to the contract to provide extra capacity on the Liskeard to Bodmin route.

“In terms of how we work with the colleges, I think there is a lot more we can do. I have a meeting coming up with them when we will talk about bus services into the future, as obviously students use the commercial bus network and the subsidised council network as well as the chartered buses that the colleges operate. There is a lot for us to talk about.”

Cllr Smith responded that Cornwall Council subsidises students on the coaches he mentioned, so “we do have a duty of care to these students”.

He said that Callywith College told him it would take 70 days to make the changes mentioned due to legislation.

“Yet for 70 days students continue travelling unsafely on high speed roads.”

Callywith College has responded to the concerns, saying the “safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority and we take all reports regarding transport capacity extremely seriously”.

The college says it is aware of pressure on seating availability on the Liskeard to Bodmin route and has been working closely with Stagecoach to monitor and address this.

James Church, strategic transport manager at Callywith, Truro & Penwith colleges, said in response: “To be clear, buses on this route have not exceeded their legal capacity. The vehicle used has a seating capacity of 78 and my on-bus observations show that student numbers are close to this level.

“At times, some students choose to stand rather than sit next to someone they do not know, even when seats are available upstairs. Drivers regularly encourage students to use all available seating, but they cannot compel students to sit as it a public service bus.

“However, we recognise that comfort and perceived safety are also important and for this reason we have worked with Stagecoach to increase capacity from January which by altering the route and assigning additional resource. We will continue to make adjustments where appropriate when concerns are raised.”

FALMOUTH PACKET - WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2025

Mr Church added that introducing new vehicles or route changes involves legal notice periods, timetable registration and vehicle availability, which can take up to 70 days to implement.

“We asked Stagecoach to set the ball rolling with the changes to the routes on November 11, 2025. Due to the legalities these will come into effect on January 5, 2026.”

He said it was also “important to understand the wider context”. Post-16 transport is not a statutory service, unlike school-age transport, which means local authorities are not required to fund or operate these services. Colleges must therefore contract directly with commercial operators at full cost.

“Despite student contributions, the college still subsidises a significant portion of the transport budget to keep these routes running. To fully recover costs, a pass would need to be closer to £1,400, which would make access to education unaffordable for many students. Indeed, our student bursary scheme ensures that less than half of students who attend the college pay the full pass price of £850pa,” added Mr Church.

“This challenge affects all post-16 providers in Cornwall. As education is compulsory to age 18, we believe that transport for post-16 learners should be reviewed to ensure it is fair, safe, and accessible. While we understand the budget pressures on post-16 providers and Cornwall Council, we believe a more collaborative and consistent county-wide model is needed, one that standardises costings, centralises bursary processes and ensures travel is viable for students regardless of which college they attend.”

With the recent news of First Bus leaving Cornwall and a new operator taking over, Callywith College sees it as an opportunity to improve and streamline bus provision for students across the county.

“We are actively working with Cornwall Council, local MPs, the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and other colleges, including Truro and Penwith, to make the case for a safer, more sustainable, and fair transport model for post-16 learners in Cornwall,” said Mr Church.

This is BIG NEWS...

Quickly posting this during my lunch hour as its pretty big news…

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, has today (22 March 2024) announced the winners of £143m Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme.

The fund sees 25 councils win a share of the money, which will be invested in 955 buses. Rural areas have been prioritised in this second tranche of ZEBRA funding, with the first £40 million for rural communities.

The south west is to receive the largest share of the funding, with £43,400,000 due to go to the region to pay for 352 buses. The second biggest share is to go to the south east, which is set to receive £30,200,000 for 179 buses (see below for a breakdown of how much each region is due to receive).

Today’s investment follows over £270 million to 16 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and councils from the first round of ZEBRA funding, bringing the total government support to roll out zero-emission buses to more than £413 million across 41 LTAs.

Over half of electric buses from the first round of the ZEBRA scheme are manufactured in the UK.

The new zero-emission buses follow £4.7 billion of reallocated HS2 funding invested directly into the North and Midlands through the Local Transport Fund.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “As part of our plan to improve local transport across the country, we’re providing a further £143 million to improve journeys for bus passengers particularly in rural areas, with almost a thousand brand new, zero-emission buses due to hit the road.

“This latest investment into our bus fleet comes on top of the £3.5 billion we have invested into our bus network since 2020, protecting and improving bus routes into 2025 as well as extending the £2 bus fare cap until the end of 2024, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”

South West

Cornwall Council - £1,300,000, 8 buses

Devon County Council - £5,300,000, 41 buses

Gloucestershire County Council - £5,900,000, 58 buses

North Somerset Council - £2,100,000, 24 buses

Plymouth City Council - £9,500,000, 50 buses

Somerset Council - £2,200,000, 25 buses

Torbay Council - £7,100,000, 49 buses

West of England Mayoral Combined Authority - £6,600,000, 74 buses

Wiltshire Council - £3,400,000, 23 buses

South West total: £43,400,000, 352 buses

https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/zebra-2-funding-announced/

so I make that 148 new buses for Devon & Cornwall…

I will start looking at these schemes in more detail over the coming week but felt it good to get this out there today!

THE TRAGIC MISSED OPPORTUNITY OF CORNWALL

Not my words but those of a blog: FREEWHEELING

If there is one bus network, other than my immediate local one, that I know well, it is the bus network of West Cornwall.

As a family, we’ve been visiting Penzance at least once a year since I was 5.

But this year, I was particularly looking forward to our easiest-ever visit.

I’d read a lot about the ambitions of Cornwall Council in improving the bus network - and the money they’ve been given by central Government to help.

As a car-free family visiting a rural area, I assumed we’d benefit from more buses and better service.

But I’m afraid we were in for a serious disappointment…

Its well worth a read. https://www.freewheeling.info/blog/the-tragic-missed-opportunity-of-cornwall

I have to say I agree with pretty much everything he says – Cornwall is very much a missed opportunity to be so much better.

All change in Cornwall 2020

Plymouth Citybus is about to get a bit bigger, and when I say a bit – I mean a big bit….

Plymouth Citybus has been awarded ALL of Cornwall Councils tendered bus network, to commence operation 1st April 2020. We have secured all of the work we currently do in Cornwall, in addition to adding an additional 130 buses worth of work to the company

For those that understand the legal side of things…
Legal Basis:
Directive 2014/24/EU
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name and addresses
Official name: Cornwall Council
Postal address: County Hall, Treyew Road
Town: Truro
NUTS code: UKK3
Postal code: TR1 3AY
Country: United Kingdom
Contact person: Mr John Hitchens
E-mail: jhitchens@cornwall.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 1872323411
Internet address(es):
Main address: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk
I.2)Information about joint procurement
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5)Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1)Scope of the procurement
II.1.1)Title:
Bus Services to include Local Buses, School Buses and Park and Ride
Reference number: DN402006
II.1.2)Main CPV code
60100000
II.1.3)Type of contract
Services
II.1.4)Short description:
The services to be included within this tender are:

Category 1: Local Bus Service — 70 500 000 GBP (approximate)

This equates to approximately 50 % of the current local bus network across Cornwall, with the remainder being operated commercially under the deregulated bus market and outside of this procurement;

Category 2: School Bus Service — 75 000 000 GBP (approximate)

This relates to School Bus 'Closed Contracts'.

Category 3: Truro Park and Ride — 4 500 000 GBP (approximate).

This relates to the Truro service operating between the Langarth (Western) and Tregurra (Eastern) transport hubs in the city of Truro.
II.1.6)Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: yes
II.1.7)Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: 7 608 000.00 GBP
II.2)Description
II.2.1)Title:

Lot No: 1

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s) 60100000
II.2.3)Place of performance NUTS code: UKK3
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
Category 1: Local bus service — 70 500 000 GBP (approximate).
This equates to approximately 50 % of the current local bus network across Cornwall, with the remainder being operated commercially under the deregulated bus market and outside of this procurement.
II.2.5)Award criteria Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60 Price - Weighting: 40
II.2.11)Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
II.2.14)Additional information
II.2)Description
II.2.1)Title:

Lot No: 3

II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s) 60100000
II.2.3)Place of performance NUTS code: UKK3
II.2.4)Description of the procurement: Category 3: Truro park and ride — 4 500 000 GBP (approximate).
This relates to the Truro service operating between the Langarth (Western) and Tregurra (Eastern) transport hubs in the city of Truro.
II.2.5)Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Quality / Weighting: 60
Price - Weighting: 40
II.2.11)Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
II.2.14)Additional information
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1)Description
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.3)Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
IV.1.6)Information about electronic auction
IV.1.8)Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: no
IV.2)Administrative information
IV.2.1)Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S: 2019/S 146-359715
IV.2.8)Information about termination of dynamic purchasing system
IV.2.9)Information about termination of call for competition in the form of a prior information notice

Section V: Award of contract

Contract No: DN402006

Lot No: 1

A contract/lot is awarded: yes
V.2)Award of contract
V.2.1)Date of conclusion of the contract:
31/12/2019
V.2.2)Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 29
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 25
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 29

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no

V.2.3)Name and address of the contractor

Official name: Plymouth Citybus Ltd

Town: Plymouth

NUTS code: UKK3

Country: United Kingdom

The contractor is an SME: no
V.2.4)Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: 109 718 096.00 GBP
V.2.5)Information about subcontracting
Section V: Award of contract
Contract No: DN402006

Lot No: 3

A contract/lot is awarded: yes
V.2)Award of contract
V.2.1)Date of conclusion of the contract:
31/12/2019
V.2.2)Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
Number of tenders received from SMEs: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from other EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received from tenderers from non-EU Member States: 0
Number of tenders received by electronic means: 3

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: no

V.2.3)Name and address of the contractor

Official name: First Southwest Ltd

Town: Camborne

NUTS code: UKK3

Country: United Kingdom

The contractor is an SME: no
V.2.4)Information on value of the contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: 7 608 000.00 GBP
V.2.5)Information about subcontracting
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.3)Additional information:
VI.4)Procedures for review
VI.4.1)Review body
Official name: Cornwall Council
Town: Truro
Country: United Kingdom
VI.4.2)Body responsible for mediation procedures
VI.4.3)Review procedure
VI.4.4)Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: 02/01/2020

This is going to have a major affect on both Plymouth Citybus and Cornwall by Kernow. We will be watching as events unfold.

Dare we dream of Superbus Networks?

One of number of recent announcements made by the current government (if you can still call it that) is of interest to those that follow the passenger transport industry:
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has announced today (30 September) plans for ‘Superbus’ networks in Britain.
The cutting-edge plans will see bus fares fall and service frequency rise with new all-electric buses. The government package, worth £220m in the first year, includes better passenger information and contactless payment available on all city buses.
The West Midlands and elsewhere will feel the benefit of ‘express lanes’ and more frequent services in rural areas where bus service numbers have fallen in recent years.
Apps are being developed that can be used to keep passengers in the loop regarding bus routes, fares, timetables from all different operators across England all in one convenient place.
Part of the announcement is the committal to the UK’s first-ever long-term bus strategy, included in this is support for local authorities who want to create franchised services in their areas. 
Cornwall will be the first county to feel the Superbus benefits, where pilot projects will go ahead from next year to improve quality, frequency and capacity of rail and bus services, with an integrated transport system for the region.
A disproportionate number of people on lower incomes uses buses over any other form of transport.
Cornwall was chosen as a county with significant deprivation and social exclusion, with people who struggle with the cost and unreliability to get to work. The new scheme hopes to connect people with jobs, education and social opportunities.
The Superbus networks will continue to pop up throughout the country, with priority given to similar places that suffer from under-achieving public transport.
With city buses switching to wireless electric vehicles and country buses becoming hybrids, pollution and operating costs will be dramatically reduced.
This is something many local councils are keen to tackle because of climate change targets they need to reach after many declaring a ‘climate emergency’.
The long-term funding package will be outlined in the 2020 spending review. It is set to show plans to support local authorities wanting to pursue London-style bus systems in their regions. 
Greater Manchester is in the most advanced stage of this proposal, and are due to consider adopting a proposed franchised model in 2020.
Is there an election coming up? Call me a cynic but I find it hard to get too excited at anything being announced by the government at the moment as there are an awful lot of big announcements which very quickly get followed by disappointments when you realise just how vague they are. I sincerely hope that this is indeed the start of something new but the £220million quoted above wont go very far at all unless its followed by some serious money pretty quickly.
Just like in Plymouth where we were told of a new £600 million to rebuild Derriford Hospital which very quickly became a vague promise of £100 million across the whole country with hopeful promises of more to follow eventually…
Having said all of that though, the promised scheme in Cornwall does at least seem more likely to happen at the moment…

Passengers boarding at the bus station in Truro
Public transport in Cornwall has received a significant boost with the Chancellor’s promise of a £23.5m funding package over the next four years for a “Reduced Bus Fares” pilot.
Due to begin in May 2020, Cornwall is the first rural area to be given the opportunity to run and fund a pilot scheme to bring down the cost of travelling by bus.
Cornwall Council Cabinet member for transport Geoff Brown said: “One of the issues for our residents is the cost of using buses to get around. So we put forward a case to the Department for Transport to help us encourage people to use the buses by reducing bus fares.

“If more people use the buses then the plan is that over the four years of the pilot project, the lower cost of fares becomes financially sustainable. More journeys by bus means more fares being paid which means keeping fares down.”

He added: “We know that good public transport is important to our residents to connect communities for work, education and socialising. Promoting and providing affordable public transport is also important in tackling climate change and getting cars off the road.
“That’s why improving public transport in Cornwall is a priority for this council. We’ve already seen public transport passenger numbers in the South West growing faster than anywhere else in the UK. Last year, 19.2 million journeys were made on public transport in Cornwall.”
Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth, supported the bid to the Department for Transport.
She said:  “This investment will help existing bus service users and will enable more people to afford to access education, employment and social activities. It encourages more people to switch to public transport.
“We have new, low-emission buses and, with this government subsidy, lower fares, so I hope many more people will use them. Switching from cars saves money, helps tackle climate change and improves the air quality of our natural environment.”
Cornwall Council signed a Devolution Deal with Government in 2015 aimed at delivering a cost-effective customer-focused integrated public transport system. It said the resulting One Public Transport System for Cornwall project is delivering upon its objectives to improve public transport.
A spokesman said: "It has seen the introduction of new buses, improved roadside shelters, bus and rail station infrastructure and digital timetable information. It’s also the first rural authority to introduce contactless payments on buses.
"Encouraging more residents to use public transport rather than using the car supports the council’s determination to tackle the Climate Change Emergency by helping to reduce emission levels."
Councillor Brown added: “There are more people using buses but we want to encourage even more. One of the barriers is high bus fares, particularly for short journeys. You need only look at the significant increase in travel since the Concessionary Bus Pass Scheme was introduced to see that people will use public transport if the price is right.
“The Truro park and ride is another example where offering a high-quality service with good value for money fares can attract people to public transport. Last year we had 1.2m passenger journeys on the Park and Ride, taking 1,500 cars per day from the city’s roads.”
The pilot will run for four years from May 2020.

Cornwall does seem to be the place to watch at the moment. They do seem keen to work with the operators rather than like some northern areas which seem determined to wrestle control from the operators by force.  This should result in a much better service across the whole county.
We should also soon by hearing the results of the last batch of tenders put out earlier this year – I know Citybus were keen to take on more Cornish work!
Cornwall has of course seen some big improvements over the last few years – even five years ago if anyone told you there would be brand new double decker's operating in Cornwall you would have laughed!

What do people think? Is this the start of something big or am I right to be a cynic? 

© Tom Carter

Cornwall Good news with an old photo

Cornwall in going against the grain here:

Older people, and those of any age with a disability, who qualify for a concessionary bus pass will be able to travel for free at any time on Cornwall’s buses from 01 April.

Up until now, people who qualify for a bus pass under the English National Concessionary Fares Travel Scheme have been able to travel on Cornwall’s public  buses for free after 9.30am on Mondays to Fridays and at any time on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.  Now, Cornwall Council has decided to extend the scheme so that concessionary bus pass holders can travel on public buses at any time and will no longer have to wait until 9.30am to travel for free.

Cornwall Council Cabinet portfolio holder for transport, Geoff Brown said: “We have listened to residents who hold these bus passes.  They have told us that having to wait until 9.30am to be able to travel for free on the bus means that they can’t travel to early appointments.  In the case of disabled concessionary bus pass holders in particular, they have told us that under the current arrangements, they can’t use their pass early enough so they either have to pay or make alternative arrangements to travel to adult training and day centres.”

Geoff adds:  “We want to encourage people to use public transport and here is a practical way the Council can help people who have a concessionary bus pass to do just that at no cost to them.”

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news-room/media-releases/news-from-2019/news-from-march-2019/have-a-concessionary-bus-pass-you-can-travel-at-any-time-on-cornwall-s-buses-from-01-april/

and the good news continues

Residents in South East Cornwall are set to benefit from a successful bid to the government’s Transforming Cities Fund to improve transport links, with a particular emphasis on sustainable transport.  Cornwall Council joined forces with Plymouth City Council and Saltash Town Council to support and develop a bid for funding to improve the wider Plymouth travel to work area which includes South East Cornwall

The successful funding bid means that South East Cornwall is set to see a £320,000 investment in transport infrastructure to improve key bus corridors in the Saltash, Torpoint, Rame Peninsula and Liskeard areas. Improvements will include new bus shelters, timetable cases and the installation of digital real time passenger information (RTPI) signs at key locations. 

Another £516,000 has also been received to deliver walking and cycling improvements in Saltash to provide key connections to Plymouth, support economic and housing growth and manage increased travel demand.

The joint bid sees a total of £7.6 million for a number of sustainable transport initiatives in Plymouth.  In Cornwall, a share of the funding will go to improve cycling, walking and public transport links between Cornwall and Plymouth. 

Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport Geoff Brown said: “Improving sustainable transport connections in Cornwall and into Devon is so important for our residents.  This funding will help us deliver work being carried out on this Council’s One Public Transport System for Cornwall (OPTSfC) Project which aims to deliver an integrated and customer focused transport network under the Cornwall Devolution Deal.” 

Cornwall Council is now working closely with Plymouth City Council in preparing a bid for the second round of funding.

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/council-news-room/media-releases/news-from-2019/news-from-march-2019/south-east-cornwall-set-to-benefit-from-transport-funding-boost/

This last story was such good news that the council tweeted:

Clearly whoever was in charge of this post hasn't actually used a bus in Cornwall for some time! (this photo was one of mine from  June 2009! https://flic.kr/p/6DfvRz)

Bucking the Trend

There was an interesting article in The Guardian on Tuesday looking at the state of UK Bus services.

Councils trying to save cash are cutting local bus routes – and badly affecting access to hospital, college and a social life

A report last week by the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) found that local authority funding for bus routes in England and Wales has been cut by 45% since 2010 and more than 3,000 routes reduced or scrapped. This prompted the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to raise the bus issue in parliament during last week’s prime minister’s questions, where he promised to “save” the bus industry and give all those aged under 26 free bus travel.

Many bus services are run commercially, mainly financed by passenger fares. Councils may then choose to subsidise those routes that are economically unviable but deemed important to maintain. Yet cash-strapped councils are being forced to reduce or scrap these subsidised bus services.

Part of the reason councils cannot afford to keep subsidising local buses is the cost of financing the free bus pass scheme. It’s mandatory to finance the concessionary travel scheme in England, which provides pensioners and disabled people with free off-peak travel on all local bus services. But the LGA estimates that there is at least a £200m shortfall for funding free bus passes, because the government does not reimburse the true cost of providing it.

David Brown, chief executive of one of the biggest bus operators, Go-Ahead Group, which runs just under 700 routes – around 10% of which are subsidised – agrees. He says cutting local buses is shortsighted. “These cuts will overwhelmingly hit jobseekers, people on low incomes and those who cannot afford a car,” he says. “Buses are the poor relation of public transport. There’s no five-year plan for buses [like there is for air, roads, rail, cycling and even walking], yet one bus can take 75 cars off the roads.”

“Politicians are fixated on their legacy. They like to open shiny new infrastructure. But rail is regressive in terms of expenditure. You can achieve much more much more quickly by investing in buses.” Brown says that where possible, Go Ahead will work with local authorities to keep subsidised routes open and weave them into one of his commercial routes. “If you are trying to go from A to B on one of councils’ subsidised routes and that route disappears, you aren’t then going to go from B to C on one of my routes.”

Not all local authorities are slashing bus routes. North East Lincolnshire, Durham, Nottingham, Cornwall and Devon have all increased their funding for buses. Richard Stevens, managing director of Plymouth Citybus, says that Cornwall, Devon and Plymouth councils all have the political will to maintain bus routes. “They recognise the importance of buses for social inclusion, economic growth and future prosperity,” he says.

Full article The Guardian

Plymouth and Cornwall bucking the trend

Bodmin Buses Budged out of the way

Thanks to the person who left a comment earlier, as this has quite an effect on local bus services in and around Bodmin, including the Plymouth service:

From Monday 12 September, there will be a number of changes to local bus services in Bodmin as a result of the closure of several roads in the town centre.

Plymouth Citybus Service 11A  Plymouth – Liskeard – Bodmin – Wadebridge – Padstow

This service will not be able to follow its normal route in and out of Bodmin from the Liskeard direction. During the works it will operate from Carminnow Cross, via Carminnow Road, Normandy Way, Harleigh Road, St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. It will then turn in the Priory Car Park before continuing its route towards Padstow, via St Nicholas Street, Plas Newydd Avenue (outbound), Harleigh Road (inbound), Beacon Road, Barn Lane, Westheath Avenue and Boundary Road. Services from Padstow towards Liskeard will follow the reverse. For the duration of the works, due to the closure of Turf Street, the service will not be able to serve Morrisons.

First Kernow Service 27   Truro – St Austell – Bodmin

All journeys in and out of Bodmin will operate via Westheath Avenue, Barn Lane, Beacon Road, Harleigh Road (inbound),  Plas Newydd Avenue (outbound), St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. For the duration of the works, due to the closure of Turf Street, the service will not be able to serve Morrisons and will instead turn in Priory Road Car Park.

First Kernow 55  Camelford – Bodmin

All journeys in and out of Bodmin will operate via Dunmere Road, Barn Lane, Beacon Road, Harleigh Road (inbound), Plas Newydd Avenue (outbound), St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. For the duration of the works, due to the closure of Turf Street, the service will not be able to serve Morrisons, and will instead turn in Priory Road Car Park.

Age UK 405 Pedna Carne – St Columb Major – Rosenannon – Nanstallon – Bodmin

All journeys in and out of Bodmin will operate via Dunmere Road, Barn Lane, Beacon Road, Harleigh Road (inbound), Plas Newydd Avenue (outbound), St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. Sainsburys and Morrisons will be served on request to the driver.

Travel Cornwall 454  Bodmin Town Service

A revised timetable providing an hourly service will be in operation for the duration of the works, serving all main stops.

Travel Cornwall 455 Bodmin – Bodmin Parkway

This service will not be able to follow its normal route in and out of Bodmin from the Liskeard direction. During the works it will operate from Carminnow Cross, via Carminnow Road, Normandy Way, Harleigh Road (inbound), Plas Newydd (outbound) St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. It will then turn in the Priory Car Park running the reverse route.  For the duration of the works, due to the closure of Turf Street, the service will not be able to serve Morrisons.

Travel Cornwall 482 Polruan – Polperro – Bodmin

Into Bodmin the journey will operate from Carminnow Cross, via Carminnow Road, Lostwithiel Road, Harleigh Road (inbound), Plas Newydd (outbound), St Nicholas Street to Mount Folly. It will then turn in the Priory Car Park before serving the Morrisons and Asda supermarkets.

National Express coaches

For the duration of these works National Express will suspend services to Wadebridge. Arrivals and departures will be from Priory Road opposite Morrisons for all journeys.

Source: Cornwall County Council

The Bodmin Cycle Project?

Works are underway to create a cycle link between Lanhydrock, the Camel Trail and Cardinham Woods, connecting Bodmin to these popular cycle hubs. By bringing the popular Camel Trail into the heart of Bodmin, we hope it will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the town centre.

The works are made up of 12 separate schemes, ranging from minor highway changes to new junctions. The most significant section of works will be at the area of Dennison Road, Church Square and Turf Street which will result in widened pavements, narrowed carriageways and new surfacing, including an attractive granite paved area at Church Square. A new roundabout will also be built at the Priory Road and Launceston Road junction to improve traffic flows and safety, including the movement and crossing of pedestrians and cyclists. There will be a new shared use routes through Priory Park linking to St Petroc’s School providing safe access for children walking and cycling to school.

Source: Cornwall County Council

Scheme History

Walking and cycling have been identified as the solution to Bodmin’s growth challenges. Studies undertaken by Department for Transport have shown that for every £1 spent on cycling, the local economy can expect to see a return in the region of £4.

The delivery of a fully comprehensive joined up walking and cycling network, capitalising on the existing surrounding attractions, is key to uniting Bodmin and supports the high growth agenda, will manage current air quality issues, supports education expansion, stimulates economic growth and can provide a national model for creating the conditions for modal shift in a rural environment. 

Bodmin town is situated at one end of one of the most highly used cycle routes in the country (the Camel Trail) and is also within close cycle distance of two recently upgraded cycle ‘hubs’ at Cardinham Woods and Lanhydrock House (National Trust). Despite its location, Bodmin reaps little economic benefit due to the lack of connectivity between these significant cycle attractions and a poor quality, fragmented, town centre network.  

The infrastructure network required to support this growth and manage the existing Air Quality Management Area in the town centre has been the source of recent significant contention amongst the town, particularly regarding new road infrastructure. The single, unifying proposal across the town’s residents and businesses has been to develop a fully integrated cycle network that will support growth, improve economic productivity, manage air quality and put Bodmin firmly on the map as being a cycling destination.

A Ticket to Ride - If you can find it

I mentioned yesterday about not being able to get the Ride Cornwall ticket on a Citybus. So I spent some time on line trying to get information…

So lets start with Plymouth Citybus clicking through on Tickets > Day Tickets > Other Tickets

As you can see the Ride Cornwall ticket is mentioned but there is no link to any additional info on how to get it.

OK so lets go to Cornwall County Council, it is there ticket so that's surely the place to go?

Click through to Transport & Streets and onto Public Transport then Transport Ticketing which appears promising

 

“The Ride Cornwall ticket is a one-day rover ticket that gives the holder a day's unlimited travel on all rail and most bus services within Cornwall and between Cornwall and Plymouth, after 9am Monday-Friday and at any time on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays” Excellent

So lets click the First Group Ride Cornwall link we are invited to click

OK so it goes to the First Kernow homepage but there is a tickets link on the top of the page. however after a lot of clicking around I can only get details of the daily First ticket at £12 only valid on First Kernow services. So thats a blank

OK so back to Cornwall County to give them another go this time on the old and rather ugly Public Transport in Cornwall page

The first thing which made me laugh was that this website was designed… badly I think, but then if it works I will let them off.

so lets to go Bus Tickets on the left hand column

The promising line here is For full details pick up a Ride Cornwall Leaflet or click here so lets see what we get

So its the full GWR web site. I cant see any clear link to the Ride Cornwall ticket though. I tried all the link and after a while found a page for Rangers and Rovers ( I am still not sure how I got there though) I completed the box (after waiting a while for the page to load)

We finally get something useful

There are some great value tickets hidden here which I for one knew nothing about but for now we will stick to Ride Cornwall so lets try the More Info link

we finally get some details with a nice long page - the highlights being

So if I cant get it on a Citybus then it looks like a trip to the Railway Station first - If I do this again then I will set out a little earlier next time.

One note though - there was a line at the top of this page Updated Information applicable from 03/09/2016

which reveals

 

A rather large increase in price from £10 to £13 another thing which Cornwall County Council have kept quiet!

Why is it so difficult to find information? Is it really that hard for councils to promote their own tickets? Is it really that hard for bus operators to promote such tickets?

Business as usual in Cornwall

Despite the government pledging franchising powers under a devolution proposal, Cornwall County Council has now announced that it does not plan to go down the franchising route, but instead would use it as a ‘last resort’.

The surprise franchising announcement created uncertainty, especially as the county has made big cuts to bus funding in recent years, which, in part led to the collapse of Western Greyhound in March.

Now, Cornwall Portfolio Holder for Transport Bert Biscoe says: “We are seeking the power to franchise as a back-up in the event that for one reason or another a partnership approach can’t achieve our aims. Our overall objective is to integrate rail and bus.”

The Government this week has said that it is considering the case for a new rail franchise covering Devon and Cornwall.

Route One

© Richard Smith

 

I am sure that First will be relieved to hear that news as it at least removed any uncertainty and lets them get on with the business of running buses in Cornwall as the main operator in the county.

Citybus Go Cornwall

Anyone following this blog will be aware of the situation with Western Greyhound. We all know it has been for sale but have been waiting patiently to see who actually buys it, if indeed anyone was interested. If you have been reading all the comments left on this site you will be aware of several suggestions that Plymouth Citybus / Go Ahead were looking to purchase as least part of the operations.
Yesterday there were tweets on Twitter suggesting that Go Ahead have indeed purchased the South East Cornwall and North Cornwall operations and will trade as Go Cornwall.
I am still waiting for an official announcement but I have recieved this from "a driver" who will remain anonymous:
Western Greyhound have sold their Liskeard operations to Citybus as from 23:59 today the Liskeard depot and all operations will be known as Go Cornwall. all staff have TUPE over and citybus have brought 9 optares from WG these being 701/2/3/4 mini optares and 957 959 960 961 & 962

The routes are going to be 572 573 574 576 and the 593 but only as far as Liskeard and there will be a connecting Western Greyhound bus to Newquay
The plan is to run optares on all routes apart from 576 that will be Enviro 200's
As I write this article up, no official announcement has appeared, but I will check again before I post it in the early hours of Monday morning! The official Press Release is now included below:

NEWS RELEASE – 7thDecember 2014 Plymouth Citybus acquires Western Greyhound Liskeard area bus services
Plymouth Citybus has acquired vital Western Greyhound bus services in the Liskeard area. It will take over on Monday 8th December 2014 to run in South East Cornwall, safeguarding bus driving 31 jobs in the area, and continuing to run the Western Greyhound timetables that are currently in place.
Plymouth Citybus, part of the national transport group Go-Ahead; will take on services previously run by Western Greyhound in and around the Liskeard area. Including the 572 between Looe and Plymouth, the 573 between Looe and Liskeard, the 574 between Liskeard and Callington, and the 576 between Plymouth and Bude, via Callington and Launceston. It will also run the section of service 593 between Plymouth and Liskeard. Western Greyhound will continue to run the 593 between Newquay and Liskeard and through tickets will continue to be available.
Plymouth Citybus intends to take over the lease of the depot off Culverwood Road in Liskeard, along with acquiring 9 low floor buses which will be branded under the new name of ‘Go Cornwall Bus’.
Plymouth Citybus currently run a fleet of 180 buses in Plymouth and its travel to work area, carrying in excess of 16.3 million passengers a year.
Bringing the new ‘Go Cornwall Bus’ under the Plymouth Citybus umbrella means it will be managed by a company who currently enjoys a 91% passenger satisfaction rating and has been awarded Investors In People Gold status.
Richard Stevens Managing Director at Plymouth Citybus said "We are really delighted to be able to come to an agreement with Western Greyhound to take over these routes and safeguard not only 31 local jobs, but securing vital bus services in South East Cornwall. We have a wealth of experience of running buses in the area and have this year started providing services to The Rame peninsular and into Liskeard, complementing our service between Callington and Tavistock. I would like to personally welcome the staff into the Citybus family and assure them that they are in good hands."
Mark Howarth Director at Western Greyhound said "We recently put Western Greyhound up for sale and we believe that the deal with Plymouth CityBus for the Liskeard area represents good value for both our employees and for bus users. We started our first operations in South-east Cornwall in August 2004, stepping in when DAC closed down their operations there, and stepped in again when local bus operator Phil Hambley of Pelynt retired. Frequencies have been steadily increased with through services introduced between the Cornish resort of Newquay and Plymouth, and more recently increasing the peak-hour frequency between Liskeard and Plymouth to half-hourly. A network based on connections at Liskeard was developed together with integrated ticketing with First Great Western trains on the Looe Valley corridor. I am delighted that Plymouth CityBus will be able to take this network to the next phase of its development. I would like to publicly thank all our staff who have worked so hard under often extremely difficult circumstances, and I would like to thank the public for their loyal support over the past 10 years.”
Although Western Greyhound has had a number of difficulties in recent months, mainly as a result of two arson attacks, it was for many years an award winning company winning national awards for high quality year after year.
Mark Howarth added, “The Company still continues in discussions with interested parties for the rest of the business and an announcement will be made in due course.”
The current services will remain and fares and times will continue unchanged from Monday. Plymouth CityBus will continue to honour all Western Greyhound weekly and season tickets until their expiry and both CityBus and Greyhound wish to make this change as easy and seamless as possible.

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First Confidence

The sad and slow demise of Western Greyhound  in its present form continues with the next phase of First Kernows renewed expansion just announced:

FIRST KERNOW ANNOUNCES GOOD NEWS FOR BUS CUSTOMERS Local bus operator reveals plans for further expansion in Cornwall In a move expected to be widely welcomed by Cornwall’s bus users and following numerous requests, local bus operator First Kernow, today announces plans to further expand its bus network
From February 2015, First will begin operating new services which will link St Columb Major and St Agnes with both Truro and Newquay. This latest announcement from First Kernow, Cornwall’s leading bus operator, follows previous news of new routes in the St Austell area adding to the company’s extensive network. From the 5 January, Wadebridge, Fowey, Par, St Blazey. Mevagissey, Bodmin, Roche and Bugle will join the fast-growing First Kernow bus network.
“This is great news for bus customers in St Columb Major, St Agnes, Truro and Newquay,” said Managing Director of First Kernow, Alex Carter. “From February we will begin operating high quality bus services which will provide much needed links between these important communities.
“We will reveal exact details of our new services in the New Year – we’re both excited by the prospect of further extending our network and determined to provide the best service possible and attract more people to bus travel.”
First Kernow has announced a number of expansions to its bus network in recent months. In September 2013, it was awarded the contract by Cornwall Council to operate Truro’s Park and Ride service; on November 3 First began operating new routes between St Austell and Newquay and between Truro and Newquay; and on January 5 it will begin a range of new services in the St Austell area.
Alex Carter continued: “The number of people travelling with First is growing, which is enabling us to expand our business. Over the last year or so, we’ve worked incredibly hard to improve our services, especially punctuality and reliability, and encourage more people to use the bus. Our efforts are being rewarded – indeed in a number of cases we are seeing increases in passenger numbers in excess of 10 per cent.
“I’m confident that passenger growth will continue enabling us to expand our services further. These are exciting times for the company and our loyal, hard-working staff who have supported us for so many years.”

First have also now announced their Christmas services:
Christmas & New Year buses in Plymouth, South Devon & East Cornwall 2014:

• Monday 22 December School holiday timetable
• Tuesday 23 December School holiday timetable
• Christmas Eve School holiday timetable. Most last journeys will be at around 8pm. (please see details below).
• Christmas Day No service
• Boxing Day No service
• Saturday 27 December Normal service
• Sunday 28 December Normal service
• Monday 29 December Saturday service except 81 which runs Mon-Fri and a slight amendment to service 90*. Service 79 will not run.
• Tuesday 30 December Saturday service except 81 which runs Mon-Fri and a slight amendment to service 90*. Service 79 will not run.
• New Years Eve Saturday service except 81 which runs Mon-Fri and a slight amendment to service 90*.Service 79 will not run. Most last journeys will be at around 8pm (please see details below).
• New Years Day No service
• Friday 2 January Saturday service except 81 which runs Mon-Fri and a slight amendment to service 90*. Service 79 will not run.

Normal operation from Saturday 3 January.
*Service 90 journeys at 10:30, 12:30 & 14:30 will be replaced by the 90B and serve the route this normally takes. Service 79 will run its normal Monday to Friday timetable until Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December) and then will not run again until Monday 5 January 2015.
Last journeys running on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve:

• 1 20:00 from Royal Parade, 19:26 from St Stephens Road 
• 1A 19:30 from Royal Parade, 19:57 from Yellowtor Road 
• 2 20:00 from Royal Parade, 19:56 from Mount Batten 
• 3 20:05 from Royal Parade, 20:00 from St Budeaux Square 
• 3A Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 6 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 15 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 48 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 76 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 79 Will run as timetabled in both directions (however does not run at all on New Year's Eve) 
• 81 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 83 Will run as timetabled in both directions 
• 86 19:45 from Royal Parade, 20:41 from Cox Tor Road & Tavistock 
• 89 Will run as timetabled in both directions

In The News

• Birmingham Mail: New 'platinum' West Midlands buses promise suit-wearing drivers National Express is spending millions on a “platinum” bus service in Birmingham and West Midlands next year – with drivers kitted out in SUITS. The company also says the new 58 top-of-the-range buses will boast a “sophisticated slick two-tone grey exterior”, marking them out from the usual red and white fleet..

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• PORTISHEAD UPDATE: X5 to Bristol Parkway / 88 extends to Yatton
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• IPSWICH BUS BLOG: FIRST IPSWICH ROUTE 53 BRANDING SPECIAL
• IPSWICH BUS BLOG: 66977 IN SERVICE AND MORE NEWS
• BRENTWOOD BUS UPDATE: Cuts to early evening buses to Ongar
• HUMBER TRANSPORT: First Doncaster-Thorne-Goole Changes
• IAN VISITS: New Crossrail photos
• PUBLIC TRANSPORT EXPERIENCE: Basingstoke It Is, My Dear [1] As Featured in Opera!
• NORWICH BUSES: The changing face of Norwich
• FOCUS TRANSPORT: MALTA BUS SAGA - UPDATE

Terminated

Its funny how things seem to go round in cycles. We have seen it in Plymouth where at various times the fortunes of Plymouth Citybus and Western National / First seem to have swapped around. We are seeing it in Cornwall too. It does not seem that long ago that we were wondering how long First would remain in Cornwall as everything seemed to be going towards Western Greyhound who were busy filling in all the gaps left by the gradual withdrawal by First. WG could do no wrong then. Sadly it now seems to be the other way round.

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Citybus Cornwall

I am playing catch-up a bit here as this group of services started this weekend just gone. Hopefully over the next week I will catch up on some of the other Cornwall changes.

Plymouth Citybus  1 June 2014

Service 32 New Timetable

TIMETABLE PDF

Service 32A New Route!

TIMETABLE PDF

Service 32B New Route!

TIMETABLE PDF

Full Route History can be found HERE

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600,000 PAGE VIEWS Another milestone was reached yesterday, as we reached 600,000 page views since the start of the website in 14th May 2011. Our daily postings are read on average by between 600 to 900 viewers showing that we are continuing to bring you a wide selection of popular news and views on the public transport front.

New Bus for Kernow

With the well documented difficulties that Cornwall Council is having with funding essential public transport in the county, it is nice to see them 'thinking outside the box' and coming up with a workable solution. Starting with the next round of tenders which are due to be announced very shortly the council will be supplying a fleet of vehicles for operators to lease. The initial batch will be based on Iveco chassis, but other manufacturers vehicles will be available at a later date. It is the bodywork which has been designed for Cornwall to meet the requirements laid down by the council.

Ironically the catalyst for the project was the oft heard complaint that bus cuts were leaving passengers prisoners in their own homes. The council soon realised that they could exploit a loophole in European legislation by re-designating all passengers as prisoners, thus negating the need to be fully low floor, and also benefitting from other tax breaks which makes the whole operation a lot cheaper to run.

Initially the vehicles will be expected to remain in white livery, but operators will be able to display their own fleet names on the sides. The council have not ruled out allowing companies to paint the buses in their own liveries, especially if future tenders are awarded for longer periods as planned.

The prototype has been out and about on testing runs over the last few days. The 'bus' is expected to be re-registered KZ11401 before entering service, in a specially reserved batch of numbers KZ11401- 11600 in an agreement with the DVLA in the same scheme that Transport for London have taken advantage of for their own NBfL fleet.

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Fare enough for First?

First Devon & Cornwall have given details of their new timetable for the Tavistock services in January:

5 January 2014 First 83 86

There are a few small changes to timetables due to Devon County Council awarding us the tender to operate evening journeys. As the Sunday daytime timetable is now operated wholly on a commercial basis (no journeys are financially supported by Devon County Council), this means tickets sold by other operators will no longer be valid for use on return journeys during the daytime. However, as evening journeys are supported by Devon County Council (after 1835) tickets sold by other operators may be used on these return journeys. All evening journeys from Plymouth will now depart from Royal Parade, Stand A19 (and no longer serve the bus station). New paper timetable guides will be available from our travel shops in Plymouth Bus Station and The George Park & Ride from 18 December.

First Devon 12 Dec 2013

Timetable PDF

The most interesting news coming from First though is from their Cornwall operations:

 

5 January 2014 First Cornwall Fares

On 5 January were changing the types of tickets we sell, and their prices. Please read the information below which we've put together to help explain what the changes are and why we are making them.
Are fares going up?
Yes, many people will find their fares have increased, although a number will find theirs have been reduced.
Why are fares going up?
There are a number of reasons why we need to increase the fares we charge. All of them are to do with covering the increased costs of running buses.
Are all the fares rising by the same amount?
No. Weve taken the decision to overhaul all our fares, to provide a much simpler set of fares that can be easily understood and communicated to customers. It means there will be fewer fares for single and return journeys, and there will be a new range of tickets for people who travel regularly.
Why change the ticket types?
Our existing tickets havent been reviewed for many, many years.
We want to have a range of easy to understand tickets. Tickets that are easy to choose between and are attractive and simple enough to appeal to visitors as well as local residents.
Will some ticket types disappear?
Yes. Well be keeping single and return tickets, but all the existing passes will be replaced by a range of 1, 2, 3 and 7 day tickets and a month ticket. The current 10 and 14 journey tickets will no longer be available, and neither will tickets over a month long.
Will there still be child tickets?
Yes, and we are extending the ages covered by child tickets to 5-16 years inclusive.
Will the child discount be changing?
Yes, child fares will be reduced to half of the full adult fare. Child versions of every ticket will be available, at half the adult fare.
Will dog fares be going up?
We are removing the charge for dogs altogether.
Will return fares be changing?
Although many of our fares are increasing, we are improving the discount return fares offer over buying two single tickets. Return fares will now be one and a half times the single fare.
We are also changing the conditions of return fares. Return tickets will now be valid for up to 5 days from the date the ticket was purchased.
Will 1 and 3 day tickets still be sold?
Yes. Were also introducing a 2 day ticket. So well be offering 1,2,3 and 7 day tickets and a month tickets.
Will Family Tickets be Changing?
We are increasing our range of family tickets. Well now offer 1, 2, 3 and 7 day family tickets. Family ticket prices will be based on the price of 2 adults, meaning that children are free.
Were also removing the limit on the number of children who can travel on a family ticket. They will allow travel for up to two adults and an unlimited number of children.
Will the concession pre 9.30am post 11pm ticket still be available?
Yes, our revised 'Early Bird' ticket is available to concession and disabled pass holders for travel before 9.30am and after 11pm. The price is now £2.00 for any single trip.
What will I pay from 5 January?
- Single and returns -
Current single fare 90p - £2.00 New single fare £2.00 New return fare £3.00
Current single fare £2.05 - £2.95 New single fare £3.00 New return fare £4.50
Current single fare £3.00 - £4.20 New single fare £4.00 New return fare £6.00
Current single fare £4.20 - £6.95 New single fare £5.00 New return fare £7.50
- Multi use tickets -
Cornwall 1 day: Adult £10.00, Child £5.00, Family £20.00 Cornwall 2 day: Adult £15.00, Child £7.50, Family £30.00 Cornwall 3 day: Adult £20.00, Child £10.00, Family £40.00 Cornwall 7 day: Adult £25.00, Child £12.50, Family £50.00 Cornwall Month: Adult £100.00, Child £50.00, Family n/a
To view the above information and fares in an A5 leaflet format (which can also be printed) please click below. Copies of this leaflet will also be available on bus and from our travel shops in Penzance and Truro bus stations from 16 December.

First Devon 12 Dec 2013

 

There is a lot to take in with with these massive changes and I am sure it will take a day or two before the full impact starts to reach people in Cornwall as some people will see some very steep rises in fares (90p to £2 single is a noticeable increase!) whilst some will clearly see reductions (£6.95 single down to £5) The much more simple fare structure is a brave one as its a big jump between fares – an extra stop could end up costing £1 extra! First are clearly wanting to push people to their multi-use tickets but these are not cheap! The current Day ticket for Cornwall is £7.20 for an adult – now up to £10. Ouch!

The most interesting change is the “unlimited number of children” on the family ticket. That is a brave move and one which potentially opens up a minefield. Do users have to prove that all the children with them are family members? It has to be noted that the £20 family ticket is up from the current £12.40 although limited to 2 adults and 3 children. These increase put the tickets on the same prices as the current Ride Cornwall ticket at £10 adult and £20 family (3 children) which is of course valid on all operators buses and the trains so seems much better value.

It will be very interesting over the coming days to see the public response to these changes.

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Leon Daniels:Regular readers will remember the story from four years ago, the one about the old London bus we found in France - of all places.

Southern England Former London United Dennis Dart 817 (G526VYE) was bought in around the turn of the millenium

Southern England 743 is one of only two Olympians native to Southern Vectis to still be in service with the company.

Public Transport Experience: Chiltern Railways will open the first new rail link between two major British cities (Oxford and London!) for 100 years

Public Transport Experience Bicester has gown so much, the council tax payers were told, that it needed better shopping and leisure facilities as befits a vibrant and growing community. Or, to paraphrase, there's cash to be grabbed so grab it.