PLANS are being formulated to extend the first Coastal Hoppa Bus Service, a pilot scheme between Looe and Seaton last year, to include the coastal area between Polruan, Looe and Lanreath.

Last year's successful service was an idea through the Sustain Network, a group of tourism businesses who are actively working together to develop more tourism in the area. The group's research had identified that there were few opportunities for holiday makers to leave their cars behind and use public transport in the area between Looe, Polborder, Murrayton (Monkey Sanctuary) and Seaton, and felt that a regular hoppa service would encourage visitors to use public transport instead of their own vehicles.

The non profit making service was set up last year with the help of Caradon Countryside Services Sustain Officer Kaja Curry, with funding from Caradon's Local Agenda 21, and from each benfiting Sustain member. Several holiday parks along the previous and proposed new routes for this year have already pledged some financial support, and it is hoped other organisations who have been contacted, will also wish to contribute. The 1998 service cost £4,075 to set up, and a further £10,256 in operating costs, the highest figure being £3,600 for the hire of the bus.

The Coastal Hoppa Bus objectives are to provide a useful and frequent service for residents and visitors of areas who at present are without such a service, to encourage visitors to walk the Coastal Path, knowing that they can catch a bus if they get tired at any of several points along the route

Last summer the hoppa service ran every Tuesday and Thursday from June 22-September 10, carrying a total of 300 adults and 132 children, which was an average of 12.5 adults and 5.5 children per day. This equates to 38 per cent occupancy which was recognised as encouraging after such a short period of time.