People can now travel around Cornwall and further afield on the bus at a discounted rate.
The government’s national bus fare cap of £2 for a single far bus journey started on January 1, 2023.
It is an initiative which complements the Bus Fares Pilot scheme already in place in Cornwall since April 2022.
The Bus Fares Pilot scheme means bus passengers in Cornwall have already saved hundreds of thousands of pounds with more than 625,000 reduced fares tickets sold between April and July.
From January to March 31, 2023, if you’re making a single bus trip, this new government initiative means you will pay no more than £2 for your journey.
There is even better value for some single journeys thanks to the Bus Fares Pilot scheme, with some as low as £1.60, as well as for those passengers who use the bus for multiple daily or weekly.
New technology introduced over the summer means passengers making contactless payments can ‘tap on and tap off’ - capping their payments so that no matter how many journeys they make, they pay no more than £5 a day or £20 a week for bus travel in Cornwall.
A first for a local authority, the pilot follows the Cornwall Council’s successful bid for £23.5m in government funding and involves bus companies including Cornwall by Kernow and Go Cornwall Bus working in partnership as Transport for Cornwall.
Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “Residents have previously told us that one of the biggest barriers to travelling by bus was the cost – with fares now significantly cheaper and with tickets valid on all buses, no matter who operates the service, I encourage everyone to jump onboard.
“Cutting the cost of bus travel in Cornwall is another step in encouraging more people to look to more sustainable ways of travel.
“This complementary government flat fare initiative means that cross border single bus journeys between Devon and Cornwall will cost just £2.
“Many car journeys are of less than five kilometres, often with just one person in the car – it all adds up, creating congestion and increasing our carbon emissions.”
More information about tickets can be found on the Transport for Cornwall website https://www.transportforcornwall.co.uk/