Open top bus service 300 Lands End St Ives

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

Looking at the 2015 timetable for 300 on first website it seems the route reverts to open top operation this year. No mention of validity of bus passes that I can see, can anyone locally update us ?

In theory bus passes shouldn't be valid. Their terms are they aren't valid on seasonal commercial services. It is also likely they won't be valid on the Newquay St Ives service.
The open top 1 gets round it as the 1 is an all year service, albeit with a topless bus in summer.

[brompton rail]

I thought that First Kernow offered a half fare price to ENCT passengers, but can't find any reference to this.

[LiskeardRich]

I thought that First Kernow offered a half fare price to ENCT passengers, but can't find any reference to this.

http://m.firstgroup.com/ukbus/devon_cornwall/news/27231/

From Sunday 24 May 2015 when you present your concession pass to the ticket machine on First Kernow buses you will no longer be issued with a printed ticket.

This is being introduced in order to help speed up boarding times and will be a 'smartcard' transaction

Your concession pass must still be presented to the ticket machine card reader and if all OK, the machine should bleep once. A ticket will only now be printed ticket if :-
- the ticket machine doesnt recognise the pass (and the driver has to manually record the trip).
- if the pass holder is travelling before 09:30 or after 23:00 on weekdays and is buying the ^2 flat concession fare.

There are no changes to the way your concession pass can be used or how you can travel - free travel is still allowed between 09:30 and 23:00 from Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.

If you have any questions please ask your driver.

[brompton rail]

Sorry for not making it clear that I thought there was a special fare for ENTC passengers on the First 300 bus - St Ives to Lands End. As the service is a tourist service First are not obliged to accept ENTC passes.

However Google hasn't come up with an answer regarding any concession army charges.

[LiskeardRich]

Type into Google search "300 bus cornwall 2014 bus pass". First result is a PDF which has prices listed.
Child/concession pass Holders ^5. Adult ^10, Family ^20

[grahame]

Type into Google search "300 bus cornwall 2014 bus pass". First result is a PDF which has prices listed.
Child/concession pass Holders ^5. Adult ^10, Family ^20

That's last year's scheme - no confirmation that I could see (from a very brief glance) that it applies in 2015 too. Essentially it's a commercial decision - whether to see seats at a special lower fare to pass holders.  If they halve the fare, they need to double the number of passengers just to generate the same income, and they have to ensure there's enough seats.  Poor immediate financial choice if they generate more business that they have capacity by reducing some fares; poor on customer relations too if they leave people behind who've come out for a day trip.

[LiskeardRich]

It should also be added that a Ride Cornwall so valid. Railcard discount applies on ride Cornwall. The full fare would give the Ride Crnwall benefit on the trains and other seasonal routes, whereas the half fare wouldn't if someone wanted to make a day of touring Cornwall by bus.

[GBM]

The Ride Cornwall/railcard discount would have to be purchased at a railway station, of course.  Busses cannot accept a railcard for a discounted fare purchased on board!

[Sleepy]

  First Kernow have announced the 300 service will be increased to 2 hourly this summer !

[GBM]

First Kernow have announced the 300 service will be increased to 2 hourly this summer !

Driver discussion as to who meets who; where, and protocol thereof!

[Sleepy]

  2 hourly service this year confirmed in First Kernow summer timetable (on their website) interlinked with service 1 trips.

[Sleepy]

It would appear the open top bus service from St Ives to Lands End won't operate this year, the route will use normal vehicles instead. Such a poor decision by remote First management.

[Ralph Ayres]

First do seem to centralise the wrong things, including liveries and corporate identity, rather than providing the technical support and economies of scale that a large organisation can give while letting local management get on with doing what they know best.
 
A recent example - my local subsidiary (somewhat optimistically called Berkshire & Thames Valley but covering little more than Slough and Windsor!) sent me a voucher code which didn't work for a Day ticket to mark my birthday.  No way to contact them other than through First's National Contact Centre who decided it was the entirely different WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) free travel for a month scheme and nothing to do with them, apparently unaware that their Slough operation is around 100 miles from that local authority.

[Chris from Nailsea]

With thanks for your update here, Sleepy, I've merged your post into an ongoing topic here on the Coffee Shop forum.

CfN. 

[Kernow Otter]

It would appear the open top bus service from St Ives to Lands End won't operate this year, the route will use normal vehicles instead. Such a poor decision by remote First management.

++A great shame.  One of the great bus journeys.  Can I also recommend the '70' service running across the cliff top at Whitsand Bay - equally stunning.