Major £17m Devon bus partnership earns national recognition

More than £17 million invested to improve Devon’s rural bus network has now led to national recognition, with the county’s public transport partnership named a finalist in the UK Bus Awards.

The Devon Bus Enhanced Partnership, led by Devon County Council and Stagecoach South West, is a finalist in the Partnership for Excellence: The Peter Huntley Memorial Award category at the 2025 UK Bus Awards, which celebrates successful collaboration and innovation in public transport across the country.

Known publicly as DevonBus, the partnership was launched in November 2022 in response to the government’s National Bus Strategy and the post-pandemic challenges facing rural services.

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It brings together Devon County Council, Stagecoach South West, smaller local bus companies including Tally Ho! Coaches and Dartline, and partners such as the NHS and local education providers.

The aim is to improve the quality, reliability and sustainability of bus services across Devon through closer coordination between councils and operators.

Since its launch, the partnership has delivered more than £17 million of investment through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), supporting new routes, upgraded stops and shelters, and measures such as bus lanes and real-time traffic systems to reduce delays.

In West Devon, the partnership has focused on maintaining and improving rural connections. Recent changes have included improvements to Service 1 between Tavistock, Yelverton and Plymouth, with additional evening and Saturday journeys introduced earlier this year, and timetable adjustments to improve reliability.

The Tavistock-Okehampton route has also been strengthened, providing better links for passengers connecting to rail services at Okehampton Station and onward travel to Exeter.

The partnership also created the DevonBus brand to provide more consistent information and identity across the network.

Funding for 60 zero-emission electric buses has been secured through the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA2 programme, and further investment is planned to support greener transport and better passenger information displays across the county.

Devon County Council has also approved more than £10 million in additional funding for 2025-26 to continue service and infrastructure improvements.

Peter Knight, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “We’re thrilled that the Devon Bus Enhanced Partnership has been recognised at a national level. This nomination reflects the strength of our collaboration with Devon County Council and our shared commitment to delivering reliable, sustainable and accessible bus services for communities across the county.”

Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, said: “I’m pleased that this partnership is among the finalists at this year’s UK Bus Awards. It shows what’s possible when we work together. We have a shared ambition to encourage more people onto buses, improve services, and invest in greener vehicles to reduce emissions.”

Smaller local operators, including Tally Ho! Coaches have said the partnership gives greater stability and support for rural routes that are harder to run commercially.

Don McIntosh, Managing Director of Tally Ho! Coaches, who represent smaller local operators, added: “This has been a true partnership, where the views of smaller operators have been genuinely valued and reflected in the improvements made.”

The recognition comes as bus services in rural areas such as West Devon face continuing challenges, including long routes, limited population density and rising operating costs.

The partnership’s “bus-first” approach aims to address these issues by coordinating timetables, simplifying ticketing and prioritising public transport in local planning decisions.

According to Devon County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, the Enhanced Partnership model is designed to reduce duplication, attract investment and improve service reliability across rural areas including Tavistock and Okehampton.

The winners of the UK Bus Awards 2025 will be announced later this year.