A NEW transport pilot centred on Torpoint is set to explore better travel links across the Tamar after regional transport leaders awarded funding for innovative rural mobility projects across the South West.

The scheme, known as the Gateway Project, has secured backing from Peninsula Transport as part of a wider £110,000 programme designed to improve transport in rural communities across the region.

The Torpoint trial will examine how bus services can better connect with ferry timetables while also testing whether improved passenger information and better coordination between services could encourage more people to use public transport.

Transport planners say the project will focus heavily on travel patterns between Torpoint, the Tamar crossing and communities in the Rame Peninsula. By studying how people currently move around the area, the pilot hopes to identify practical changes that could lead to long-term improvements.

As part of the scheme, local residents will be involved in shaping solutions. Small-scale transport trials will then be launched to test ideas designed around real community needs.

The aim is to build a clearer picture of demand for cross-river and rural travel while exploring whether more coordinated services could eventually operate on a permanent basis.

For Torpoint and surrounding villages, where transport options can be limited and journeys often rely on the ferry connection to Plymouth, the findings could play a key role in shaping future services.

The Gateway Project is one of three initiatives funded within the Peninsula Transport region, which covers Cornwall, Somerset, Devon, Torbay and Plymouth.

Another scheme, based in Ilfracombe, will focus on helping unemployed residents access work by creating a shared low-carbon transport system. The programme aims to tackle two of the biggest barriers to employment in rural areas – a lack of qualifications and limited transport options – by linking mobility with skills and job opportunities.

Meanwhile, a Devon-wide volunteering initiative will attempt to strengthen community car schemes by recruiting younger volunteers. The campaign hopes to address a growing generational gap in volunteering while ensuring older volunteers continue to be supported.

Cllr John Stephens, chair of the Peninsula Transport Board, said the latest round of funding builds on the success of earlier pilot schemes designed to improve mobility in rural communities.

“Following the positive outcomes of previous pilot initiatives, we are pleased to support a further programme of rural mobility schemes,” he said.

“It is essential areas with limited public transport provision receive appropriate attention alongside urban centres. Effective and accessible transport networks play a critical role in improving access to services, education and employment, reducing isolation, and supporting sustainable economic development.”

Rural transport remains a major issue across the Peninsula Transport area, where more than 40 per cent of residents live in rural communities compared with just 17 per cent nationally.

Last year’s pilot funding helped launch the Bodmin and Lanivet Community Bus Scheme, which has already improved transport options for residents living in villages around Bodmin.

Alongside the Peninsula projects, neighbouring transport body Western Gateway has awarded a further £60,000 to support rural transport trials across its region.