Cornwall Council lifts bus pass restriction

[whole diary]

[old original]

As the title suggests, it's been announced that from 1st April bus pass holders will be able to use them at anytime doing away with the "Earlybird" ticket currently required for travel before 09.30 weekdays.

[chuffed]

Nothing about this on the FK^▸ (First Corridor (carriage)) website. Don't think companies can overturn govt legislation arbitrarily.
Is this an early  April Fool ?

[JayMac]

Local authorities and/or bus operators are free to set concessionary bus pass time validity beyond the legal minimum of 0930-2300 Monday - Friday and all day at weekends/Bank Holidays.

[stuving]

Local authorities and/or bus operators are free to set concessionary bus pass time validity beyond the legal minimum of 0930-2300 Monday - Friday and all day at weekends/Bank Holidays.

So who's paying for it? As HMG won't, is it the bus company or the LTA^▸ (Local Transport Authority)?

[chuffed]

Some clarity needed from the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter). Is this restriction lifted for passes issued by Cornwall County Council for residents living in Cornwall?.Or, as the OP implies, is it for everyone?

[old original]

It came from this tweet from Cornwall Council....


https://twitter.com/CornwallCouncil/status/1108685991953481728?s=20


..and the embedded link to the council's web site, which implies it's covers everyone with a pass.


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/

[grahame]

Some clarity needed from the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter). Is this restriction lifted for passes issued by Cornwall County Council for residents living in Cornwall?.Or, as the OP implies, is it for everyone?

It came from this tweet from Cornwall Council....

https://twitter.com/CornwallCouncil/status/1108685991953481728?s=20

..and the embedded link to the council's web site, which implies it's covers everyone with a pass.

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.”

Each county is different, but here in Wiltshire the 09:30 start for the bus pass to be valid causes there to be a very slack period on the buses for about an hour to 09:30, followed by what - on some routes - are the busiest services of the day just after 09:30.  I suspect that the better spread of loading by accepting the passes earlier will, in some cases, make the service more efficient and less expensive per passenger to provide, for supported routes perhaps not actually costing the County Council any more over all, counterintuitive though this sounds.

[LiskeardRich]

Cornwall council have lifted the restriction not First Kernow, so applicable to all operators.

Cornwall council are imbursing operators loss of ‘early bird’ type revenues as part of the  change.

On some  routes the first bus after 0930 can be filled with pass holders, I believe they are trying to spread the load earlier.

[chuffed]

I look forward to First Bristol,Bath and the west following suit !

[LiskeardRich]

I look forward to First Bristol,Bath and the west following suit !

As it’s nothing to do with First other than the virtue they operate buses in the area, it’ll be down to your local authority.

Mods possibly worth editing the misleading thread Title?

[chuffed]

OK, WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) then ! I cannot help thinking that the original plan was to help the locals in Cornwall, but the way it has been  worded/presented seems to indicate that a lot of grockles will be expecting to be able to travel before 9.30am as well.

[grahame]

I look forward to First Bristol,Bath and the west following suit !

As it’s nothing to do with First other than the virtue they operate buses in the area, it’ll be down to your local authority.

Mods possibly worth editing the misleading thread Title?

Thread title changed from
FirstKernow lifts bus pass restriction
to
Cornwall Council lifts bus pass restriction

[Pb_devon]

I recall a conversation I had many years ago with a Torbay councillor, who bemoaned the bus pass system, and the cost to them. He claimed it cost them a fortune due to all the seasonal coach tour visitors riding around for free, for which they received no funding. Hopefully CC have factored this in.

[LiskeardRich]

I recall a conversation I had many years ago with a Torbay councillor, who bemoaned the bus pass system, and the cost to them. He claimed it cost them a fortune due to all the seasonal coach tour visitors riding around for free, for which they received no funding. Hopefully CC have factored this in.

Other than compensating for loss of early bird tickets, I can’t imagine it will increase passenger numbers by much, just spread them earlier. The new double deckers working the key routes have a passenger capacity of 105. Newquay to Truro, Hayle to Truro for example both have 4 buses an hour, all booked the new double deckers. Falmouth to Truro 2 buses an hour, again new double deckers. These routes were previously mainly single decker buses so a huge capacity increase in the last 2 years.

[grahame]

I recall a conversation I had many years ago with a Torbay councillor, who bemoaned the bus pass system, and the cost to them. He claimed it cost them a fortune due to all the seasonal coach tour visitors riding around for free, for which they received no funding. Hopefully CC have factored this in.

It needs to be factored in.   Did he also bemoan the business the season coach tour visitors to Torbay bring to the towns of Torquay, Paignton, Brixham etc and how they support the local economy?