Brixham bus service saved

Torbay Council is pleased to confirm that Country Bus will continue to run its bus services in Brixham.

The services were due to cease at the end of this month but the good news is routes 15 and 16 will continue to operate, with support from Torbay Council.

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture, said: “On our watch, we were not prepared to see another route be cancelled and therefore we have stepped in to provide support until the end of the current financial year.

“The impact of losing any bus route can hit our elderly constituents, especially those residents who use the buses on a regular basis, even more so in the more hilly areas of the bay where the mobility impaired may struggle. Therefore we had to find a solution.

“Passenger numbers have been particularly low due to the lockdown and we need to find a way to keep these services going in the long term for those who rely on them.”

Council Leader Cllr Steve Darling said: “I am pleased we have been able to step in and save this route, however we need to take a more strategic approach to public transport within the bay, especially in the areas where the continuation of routes is critical to the wellbeing of our residents.

“By the new financial year we will have developed a strategy to support secondary routes such as these.

“This approach needs to be on a more equitable basis across the whole of the bay, as a strong public transport system, will lead to a more healthy and prosperous Torbay.

“Marketing routes that passengers want to use and providing them buses at the times they want to travel, will generate more paying passengers. The more passengers we can convince to leave their cars at home and switch to public transport, will help us to improve both congestion and air quality.”