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 by town and district councillor Alison Foden, a regular bus user who has been fighting for improved services for years, says this is ‘hugely unfair’.

But there continues to be confusion over the precise borders of the zones.

A spokesman for Stagecoach South West said both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren are included in the Torbay Zone.

However, Cllr Foden raised the issue of the ‘split’ when Stagecoach Managing Director Peter Knight attended a meeting of Dawlish Town Council to discuss bus services.

She said, Mr Knight replied: ‘You were entirely correct 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 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, 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, a 50 per cent increase in price. That is hugely unfair.’

But in a statement, a spokesman for Stagecoach South West, said: 'Both Dawlish and Dawlish Warren are included in our Torbay Zone, which offers reduced fares for day, seven-day, and 28-day tickets.

‘However, these locations are outside our Greater Exeter Zone, as they lie more than 10 miles from Exeter, beyond the radius we apply consistently for that zone.

‘We understand fare changes can raise questions locally, and we continue to engage with elected representatives to ensure community concerns are considered.

‘Our priority is to provide a clear, fair, and financially sustainable fare system that serves the greatest number of customers.’

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

The campaign 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.

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

‘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.’