Citybus incapable of maintaining accuracy of information on Transport for Cornwall website - CC portfolio holder for transport is not bothered
20 September 2026

Plymouth Citybus, operating as Go Cornwall Bus, runs the vast majority of bus services in Cornwall. Citybus has a website that should provide accurate and up to date information about those services including the timetables that passengers can rely on. The website used to have the domain name and branding of Go Cornwall Bus. However, in early 2025, the website was rebranded with the name of Transport for Cornwall. Transport for Cornwall is a trademark held by Cornwall Council and other parties should only use the brand with the permission of the Council. Cornwall Council says that it has given Citybus a licence to use the name but there is no valid, current document that supports that assertion. Presumably, there has been an oral agreement between the Council and Citybus allowing them to use the TfC brand but there appear to be no conditions attached to that licence. Essentially, Citybus can do whatever they wish with the brand.

Unfortunately, the information on the TfC website is often inaccurate. Most people would accept that mistakes can happen particularly in the fairly complicated case of bus timetables covering hundreds of routes, different timetables for different days, changes to timetables a couple of times in a year etc. But what most people would probably also expect is, that when mistakes are pointed out to the company responsible for the website, those mistakes would be rectified promptly.

This is where Citybus fails badly. I have pointed out to Citybus numerous mistakes over the past couple of years and it always takes many days or longer for the mistakes to be rectified. Current mistakes that I can find are as follows:

GCB92B Newquay to Wadebridge via St Columb Major Sundays only (every two hours in each direction). The online interactive timetable for this service has not been uploaded on to the TfC website or on to the TfC app. Consequently, anyone looking for the times of buses on this route on a Sunday would find the message "Sorry, this service does not run in this direction on the provided date.” Anyone standing at a bus stop on the route and looking at the app would find that there is no mention of the 92B service. Citybus themselves became aware of this error on Sunday 13 September and posted a message on the Updates page of its website and on its app saying, "I am sorry to inform you that due to an issue with the Transport for Cornwall app, the service 92B does not show up. If you are wishing to travel on this service please use the PDF version of the timetable. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.” A week later, on Sunday 20 September, there is still the same issue because Citybus has failed to update its website to incorporate the timetable, but, on this day, there is not even a message on the website to tell passengers about the issue. In other words, Citybus knows what the problem is but has not been able to fix it for a week (and still counting).

GCB405 Pedna Carne to Bodmin, one service in each direction Monday to Friday. The online interactive timetable says, "Sorry, this service does not run in this direction on the provided date.” The app does not show the route at all or any of the bus stops on it. I emailed the MD of Citybus on 14 September pointing out this error along with the 92B error. I have received no reply and the errors are still there.

GCB55 Camelford to Bodmin and Liskeard Monday to Saturday. The online interactive timetable says, if you choose a Saturday date, the same message as above, i.e. "Sorry, this service does not run in this direction on the provided date.”

GCB26A St Austell to Eden. This service ran for the summer holidays period only. In this case, there is the opposite error to the above ones. The interactive online timetable shows the service still running on Saturdays (but not on Monday to Fridays). The app also shows the service running, even showing a countdown timer for buses approaching stops - but the buses are not running! I emailed the MD of Citybus on 15 September pointing out this error and the 55 error. I have received no reply, and the errors are still there.

It is clear that Citybus does not have anyone inhouse with the skills to be able to maintain and update online timetables on its website and app. The company as good as admitted that to me in an email that I received from the Commercial director of Go South West in May when he said to me in response to a complaint that I had made about errors in the 7/7A timetables, "The issue with the 7 timetable is with our website supplier. Two of my team spotted it and have tried to fix it.” In other words, his team were unable to do whatever is necessary to fix the problem.

If Citybus was only providing bus services in Cornwall on a commercial basis, operating under their own brand name, in competition with other bus companies, then complaints about their service would be between the company and me or other passengers and it would not really be anything to do with Cornwall Council. However, Citybus (Go Cornwall Bus) has almost a de facto monopoly of bus services in Cornwall and most of the routes, including those listed above are only run because of a multi-million pound annual subsidy from the local transport authority (Cornwall Council). Furthermore, the Council has given permission, albeit in a cavalier, undocumented way, to Citybus to use the Transport for Cornwall brand. Therefore, I would argue that Cornwall Council has an interest, and an obligation, to ensure that Citybus starts to put its house in order and to provide a proper, reliable source of information about bus services. Sadly, however, whenever I have raised my concerns with the portfolio holder for transport, Dan Rogerson, through questions to Cabinet, copying him into emails that I have written to Citybus, and in responses to a Freedom of Information Act request, I have received responses staggering in their complacency, suggesting that the Council is entirely happy with the actions of Citybus including in the use of the Transport for Cornwall brand. His latest email to me on 17 September, said,
"Dear Bob
Thank you for your email.
A copy of the agreement relating to the use of the Transport for Cornwall branding has previously been provided.
At this time, there are no plans to cease the current arrangement or to work with an alternative provider. We remain satisfied that the existing solution provides the best value for customers and supports the delivery of information to passengers across the Transport for Cornwall network.
We keep all partnership arrangements under review to ensure they continue to meet the needs of customers and deliver value for money. However, based on our current assessment, there is no intention to replace the existing arrangements
Gans gorhemmynadow a’n gwella
Dan"