LIBERAL Democrats on Cornwall Council are celebrating an increase of bus use in Cornwall despite a decrease in numbers of bus users nationally.

This will see travel improvements in the Launceston, Hartland, Bude and Marhamchurch areas.

Improvements to public transport in Cornwall over the past three years have seen passenger satisfaction increase from 85% to 95% and passenger numbers increase by 5% year on year, bucking the national trend which has seen a reduction in bus travel.

Currently about 50% of all bus services are run under contract to Cornwall Council and these services undertake some 4-million passenger journeys a year. There are over 10-million bus journeys made on all local services in Cornwall each year.

Liberal Democrats on Cornwall Council have already secured new rail signalling allowing more trains to run supported by the recently expanded depot at Penzance; upgraded bus stops and shelters including real time digital information; new buses and trains; bus stations improvements at Truro, Newquay and Penzance.

A new eight-year contract has been awarded to Go Cornwall Bus which will see more frequent services and greener, lower emission buses running in the Duchy from April. This will deliver direct links to Derriford Hospital; Launceston to Bodmin Town Centre and Parkway station; Newquay to Redruth direct; St Austell to Lostwithiel via Tywardreath Highway; Truro to Bodmin via Summercourt and Indian Queens; increased number of journeys between Hartland, Bude and Marhamchurch; additional journeys on services between Bude and Launceston and Bude to Truro; Truro to St Mawes to operate hourly on Mondays to Saturdays connecting at Tregony with two hourly Veryan to St Austell services; Cornwall Airport Newquay to Truro Railway Station.

Geoff Brown, Lib Dem portfolio holder for Transport, said: “I am delighted to say that Cornwall’s bus services which already buck the national trend for passenger journeys are set to get better from the spring.”