news: Boosting Patronage on Cornwall Buses
Thursday 7th September 2023
ITP is delighted to have been awarded an exciting project working with Cornwall Council / Transport for Cornwall to offer Marketing, Communications and Engagement (MCE) support as they look to increase the number of people using the bus in Cornwall as part of their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) ambitions.
Working closely with our subcontractors Diva, ITP will support Cornwall Council as they start to deliver their £13.3m BSIP, funded by UK Government.
Over the next couple of years ITP and Diva will be working collaboratively with partners to understand the motivations and barriers of the existing and prospective bus user market in Cornwall and develop impactful, targeted campaigns to increase bus patronage.
The project will focus on both residents and visitors to Cornwall with the premise that public transport is essential to help keep communities connected and reduce social isolation.
The MEC support will also be set in the context of the Bus Fares Pilot which has been running in Cornwall since April 2022. Cornwall is the only authority in the country to take part in this pilot scheme and the aim is to understand the impact of low fares on patronage. This pilot will provide valuable insights into the current travel patterns of bus users across the county.
ITP will provide leadership and direction to the Client and partners such as bus operators, coordinating work and promoting the value of working together with the customer at the heart of everything.
Jim Bradley, Director of Influencing Behaviour at ITP said “ITP is delighted to have been appointed by Cornwall Council alongside partners Diva to provide Marketing, Communications and Engagement support to encourage more people to get on the bus across the county. This is an exciting project with a real potential to use behavioural science to develop targeted and impactful campaigns. ITP is experienced in researching, designing, delivering and evaluating behavioural change campaigns for a variety of clients and we are thrilled at this opportunity to provide our expertise to help Cornwall Council meet their overall objectives.”
Amanda Pearce, Director at Diva said: “We are delighted to be working with colleagues at ITP in both Derbyshire and Cornwall; it will be a fantastic partnership. We are confident that by drawing upon a behaviour change approach and creating campaigns built on insight combined with our creative expertise, especially around illustration and animation, we will engage people and encourage them to return to the bus, as well reach people who may not have previously considered bus travel.”
Please get in touch to find out how we might be able to help your organisation deliver local bus improvements through effective partnership working.