Night bus to run as a commercial service from 2026

A night bus service in North Devon aimed at improving safety is expected to be run as a commercial service from next year.

The Saturday night/Sunday morning service, set up by the police and supported by local councils, was first trialled over Christmas 2023 and ran again in the six months to the end of last year.

Operated by Stagecoach, it ran between Bideford, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe while stopping at Instow, Yelland, Fremington, Chivenor and Braunton.

Police said crime and anti-social behaviour fell by a third in Barnstaple when the bus ran in 2024 and drink driving fell 10 per cent.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, North Devon Council's strategy and resources committee was told the service was well used, with around 250 passengers on New Year's Eve.

The committee has agreed to contribute £3,000 towards the cost of the service from May to September 2025 with Devon County Council paying £2,000 and Torridge District Council £2,500.

But the council's service manager for environmental health, Darren Littlejohns, said Stagecoach expected the scheme to be commercially viable from 2026, meant local councils would no longer need to contribute.

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