A CAMPAIGN has been launched to demand fair and equal bus fares for Dawlish.

The Fair Fares campaign comes as Stagecoach South West introduced new ticketing zones which critics argue effectively split Dawlish and Dawlish Warren in two.

The campaign has been started by town and district councillor Alison Foden who is a regular bus user and has been fighting for improved services for some years.

It seemed even Stagecoach South West Managing Director Peter Knight was confused over the new zones.

He visited Dawlish Town Council in person to discuss services and the new ticket zones and confirmed both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren were both in the Greater Exeter Zone.

But Cllr Foden says after she questioned this, Mr Knight responded to her confirming: ‘You were entirely correct that I stated at the meeting that Dawlish fell within the Greater Exeter Zone. On checking our information, it does not and I apologise for the mistake. Dawlish Warren does fall within it, however Dawlish itself doesn't.’

Cllr Foden explained: ‘Neither Mr Knight nor his colleagues have taken into consideration the facts of their Stagecoach bus routes.

‘The road showing the Greater Exeter ticket zone map, from Cockwood Harbour to Warren Road in Dawlish Warren, is not even a road used by Stagecoach buses.

‘Dawlish is included in the Torbay ticket zone, along with Dawlish Warren, which helps for people travelling to and within Torbay.

‘However, while Dawlish Warren is included in the Greater Exeter ticket zone, and Dawlish isn't, this is very unfair.

‘One of the reasons I started this campaign, for Dawlish as a whole to be considered, and not to be split into two by Stagecoach.

‘It’s place discrimination.

‘A day rider ticket within the Greater Exeter ticket zone costs £6.50, compared to a price of £10 or £11 outside of the zone, more than a 50 per cent increase in price. That is hugely unfair.’

Dawlish town councillors have now backed Cllr Foden’s motion to write to Mr Knight ‘demanding fair and equitable bus fares for the whole of Dawlish’.

Under the new zone structure, although Dawlish is less than half a mile away from Dawlish Warren, a return journey from Dawlish to Exeter would cost £3.50 more than if boarding the bus at Dawlish Warren.

The campaign says it seems ‘hugely unfair’ that

Dawlish Warren can benefit from the cheaper fares when Dawlish cannot.

And it is asking Stagecoach to look again at the zone areas ‘to ensure fairness for all residents’.

MP Martin Wrigley is also backing the campaign.

He said: ‘These price changes follow the reduction of the Number 2 service from Newton Abbot to Exeter via Dawlish from three buses per hour to two.

‘When challenged about this reduction Stagecoach South West have stated that they are unable to increase the frequency of this service.

‘Cllr Foden, a frequent bus user, has reported that the number 2 bus is regularly so crowded it is unable to allow passengers to board.

‘With the new ticketing zones Stagecoach South West has split Dawlish into two zones, which seems hugely unfair for all the people who wish to commute or travel from the centre of Dawlish into Exeter.

‘Creating a two tier pricing structure by excluding Dawlish in this way will do nothing to increase bus usage, it will push more people into cars and on to the roads.

‘We are in a Climate Crisis, and one of the easiest ways to make small improvements is for more people to use public transport and leave their cars at home.

‘By introducing this new ticketing zone which excludes the majority of Dawlish while including Dawlish Warren, Stagecoach South West will no doubt lose passengers who feel they are being unfairly penalised.’

Stagecoach has been asked to respond.