First Bus gives notice to Cornwall Council to cease operating Truro park and ride
26 August 2023

A reliable source within the bus industry has advised me that First Bus has given Cornwall Council notice to cease operating the Truro park and ride. The contract signed by the Council and First Bus says, at clause 43.2.1, "Without affecting any other right or remedy available to it, either Party may terminate this agreement at any time by giving six (6) months written notice.” I assume, therefore, that this is what First has done, although it has been rumoured that they may have only given 3 months’ notice. Whether it is 6 months or 3 months, this gives Cornwall Council a major problem.

The Truro park and ride system is absolutely essential in enabling workers at Treliske Hospital in particular to get to and from work. Without the park and ride, it would be impossible for everyone working at or visiting the hospital to park in close proximity to it. The park and ride also takes many other cars off the road that would otherwise be clogging up the roads and car parks within the city centre.

This means that the Council has to find a way to keep the park and ride operating, whether it is through renegotiating the contract with First, or finding another operator for the buses. The Council has made it more difficult for itself to find another operator since it gave up its own ticketing system earlier in 2023 (see change to park and ride ticketing) and turned the provision of multi-day ticketing over to First whereby all such tickets now have to be purchased through the First app.