Cornwall’s supported bus network will continue to connect communities across the county following government intervention to plug a funding gap.
Cornwall Council have said that prior to the funding injection, ‘cuts would have been necessary to around a quarter of Cornwall’s supported bus network this April’ a reduction which could have left some rural communities without a bus service.
Instead, planned cuts of £500,000 have been reversed following a £5.48-million funding injection from phase four of the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
Councillor Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “While we continue to see an increase in the number of people travelling by bus in Cornwall, our rural geography and scattered settlements make it harder to run sustainable services.
“We support around half of all bus journeys in Cornwall and review the network with operators twice a year. During our initial review late last year of network changes for this April, the picture was not a good one. A funding shortfall meant we were facing significant cuts which would have a massive impact on residents.
“The financial challenges faced by local authorities is not unique to Cornwall and we have had to make some difficult decisions to balance the books. Bus services play an important role in supporting our residents which is why we’ve taken the decision to safeguard this funding for the next financial year.
“We have had to make some alterations to services from April however, and while I appreciate that any changes to services have an impact on passengers, these changes mean we can avoid cutting any routes.
“Ultimately my message to residents is that we’ll do what we can to preserve the bus network, but we need more people to travel by bus to help make services more sustainable in the long term.”
Simon Lightwood MP and local transport minister, added: “Buses are the lifeblood of communities, and this government is investing over £1-billion to improve services.
“We’re delivering long-term funding certainty to support local authorities like Cornwall and help more people choose the bus.”