A canny holidaymaker has embarked on 320 mile bus tour over three days for less than £40 - after taking advantage of a bus fare cap. Andrew Cowell, 47, set off from his home in Allestree, Derby yesterday, April 13, and will arrive in Penzance on Saturday after travelling on 20 buses.
The railway worker started his journey by travelling from Derby to Swindon, Wilts., on nine different buses. He will then get on seven buses from Swindon to Exeter and on the final day of the route, Andrew will travel to Penzance on four different buses.
But because of the government's £2 fare cap on bus bares in England, the 36-hour journey will only cost him £39.50, excluding food and accommodation. After doing a similar journey in February where he travelled from Derby to Whitby, North Yorks,. on five buses, Andrew says he thought he needed 'more of a challenge.'
He said: "I needed a bit more of a challenge this time and this is about as far as you can go in England from Derby using the £2 bus fare as it only applies in England. I also like Cornwall so it just seemed like a good place to go."
Andrew is planning to spend two days in the Cornish seaside town and will then be getting the sleeper train to London and before getting a train back home. He said: "Getting another 20 buses back would be a bit much, even by my standards."
Andrew has also said that if we want to keep the 'bus network, then we need to keep using it' and that he thinks the scheme has 'helped increase bus usage' already. The rail operation planner added: "I know that the £2 scheme has helped increase bus usage.
"But if we want to keep a reliable bus network, then we need to keep using it. If everyone who could did one journey a week by bus instead of driving, then it would make a huge difference to the environment and to the buses.
"I've been speaking to different people today who have told me that if it wasn't for the scheme, then they wouldn't use the bus service."
