Cornwall reduced bus fares save passengers £1.2m

The four-year pilot scheme has been funded with £23.5m from the government

A scheme to reduce bus fares in Cornwall has saved passengers £1.2m in three months, the council has said.

Cornwall Council introduced the scheme in April to cut the cost of bus travel and boost passenger numbers.

It said the number of seats filled on buses had risen, but were "yet to return to pre-Covid levels".

Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport Philip Desmonde said cutting ticket prices would encourage more sustainable travel.

He said: "Residents have previously told us that one of the biggest barriers to traveling by bus was the cost.

"Cutting the cost of bus travel in Cornwall is another step in encouraging more people to look to more sustainable ways of travel, for example taking the bus for shorter journeys that they may usually make by car."

The council said more than 625,000 reduced fare tickets had been sold between April and July.

It said new technology allowed passengers to cap the price of journeys, meaning they would pay a maximum of £5 a day or £20 a week.

Go Bus Cornwall head of commercial and marketing, Mark Collins, said "more people using the bus means a reduction in car journeys, tackling congestion and improving air quality".