In a first for a local authority, Cornwall Council will introduce a reduced bus fares pilot scheme later this week following a successful bid secured £23.5m worth of government funding.
The pilot, which aims to encourage more people to use the bus, will run for the next four years.
It is hoped the scheme will cut car emissions, with road transport currently accounting for around a quarter of Cornwall’s carbon emissions and help the Duchy meet their target of being carbon neutral by 2030.
The reduced bus fares pilot is a central pillar of Cornwall’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, which was submitted to the government in October 2021 as a bid for transformational funding over the next three years that will further develop the network.
On average, the scheme will see adult bus passengers pay one-third less for their fares when new summer timetables are introduced on 10 April.
The authority said they have worked with bus operators to ‘transform’ Cornwall’s public transport network in recent years following a government devolution deal in 2016.
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.
Commenting, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport, Councillor Philip Desmonde 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.”
Leader of Cornwall Council, Councillor Linda Taylor added:
“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.”
The scheme will be marketed and delivered by Transport for Cornwall, a partnership of Cornwall Council and its transport operators.
You can watch the full PSE365 Public Sector Decarbonisation in Association with Liberty Charge virtual event on demand here.
