Last week, First Bus announced that it would be pulling out of Cornwall completely in mid February 2026.
A page has been posted on the Transport for Cornwall website, titled Frequently Asked Questions, answering some of the questions that residents and passengers are asking about the implications of this move by First. It covers issues such as how the commercial services currently run by First will probably be covered by other operator(s), school transport, college and university student passes, park and ride service, bus stations etc.
My own view is that most of the services currently operated on a commercial basis by First are likely to be replaced by similar, if not directly comparable, services by other operators, probably mostly by Go Cornwall Bus.
As for the park and ride, Cornwall Council will have to find another bus company to operate it and that will probably cost more than is currently being paid to First. Whether or not Cornwall Council’s contract negotiators will be able to claim back any of this excess from First because of their unilateral termination of the contract that was supposed to run until 2028, remains to be seen. Knowing the Council’s general attitude of telling the public as little as possible about any commercial matters, it is likely that we will never know if First stump up the compensation or the council taxpayer picks up the bill as it so often has had to do so in the past, e.g. like shelling out millions to keep the nonsensical Gatwick to Newquay air link going after Eastern Airways went bankrupt.