Delays, cancellations and overcrowded buses are making it harder for students in Falmouth to get to lectures, work and social plans on time, according to a Falmouth University student.
Students in Falmouth say unreliable public transport is affecting their studies, work, and social lives, with delays, cancellations, and overcrowded buses causing daily frustration.
Lewis, a student at Falmouth University, says he relies on buses almost every day. “I use public transport pretty much daily,” he said. “I use it to get to uni, to work, and to meet up with friends.”
However, Lewis says services rarely run as planned. “They’re scheduled for certain times, but they’re normally ten or fifteen minutes late, sometimes even longer,” he explained. “Sometimes they’re even completely cancelled without enough notice.”
The delays can have a knock-on effect on student life, particularly when it comes to attending lectures on time. “It makes it hard to meet with people,” Lewis said. “I try to get to uni on time, but because of buses being late all the time, I turn up late and miss the lectures beginning.”
He added that arriving late often means missing important learning. Transport issues have also impacted his job, with Lewis explaining that he has missed work or arrived late because of unreliable buses.
While Lewis believes transport costs are reasonable at the moment, he is concerned about rising prices. “The frequency on paper is good, but because of the delays, it’s less reliable,” he said. “The costs are quite good, but they could be much more affordable, especially as prices keep increasing.”
Overcrowding is another issue students are facing, particularly during the evenings. Lewis says bus services are reduced later at night, despite high demand. “Instead of having a bus every fifteen minutes, they have one every half an hour to an hour,” he said. “That means the buses fill up really quickly.”
Lewis believes improvements could be made by better managing bus timetables, increasing services during busy periods, and keeping ticket prices affordable. “They really need to sort their timings so they’re not delayed all the time,” he said. “And making them a bit cheaper would help so everyone can afford to use them daily.”
With students making up a large part of Falmouth’s population, many feel that reliable and accessible public transport is essential for everyday life in the town.