The first Stagecoach South West vehicle to carry a dedicated livery for services to Callywith College in Bodmin made its debut as that contract commenced from the start of the new academic year on 1 September.
Seventeen Stagecoach vehicles will serve the college via a contract that was awarded in spring 2025. The livery applied to an Alexander Dennis Enviro400 has been created “to symbolise the continued commitment to safe, reliable and environmentally responsible travel for students across Cornwall,” the educational establishment says.
Stagecoach South West has also opened a new depot close to the Callywith campus. It is equipped with fuelling and vehicle washing facilities and will initially hold around 30 buses.
While the site’s primary focus is to support the Callywith contract, it will also serve other routes and contracts in Cornwall, which Stagecoach says further demonstrates its “wider investment in reliable, high-quality transport provision across the region.”
Callywith, Truro and Penwith Colleges Strategic Transport Manager James Church advises that five buses will gain the dedicated livery, with the others entering service over coming months. Callywith plans to commission a special livery to mark its 10-year anniversary in September 2027.
He adds that routing students to colleges via the existing local bus network can be challenging via the extent of provision of those services and the available capacity, with significant numbers of school pupils also using them. The organisation continues to look at how it gains efficiencies on the services it contracts directly.
Stagecoach debuted the Callywith College livery at gathering of senior leadership from the operator and the educational establishment. Operations staff and drivers from Stagecoach were also present. They took part in a site tour and participated in a safeguarding training session.
Such an approach highlights the strong belief that drivers are an extension of the Callywith team, the college says.
Adds Mr Church: “Safeguarding is deeply embedded in our college’s culture and day-to-day practice. We wanted the Stagecoach South West team to be fully immersed in our expectations from day one. Their participation today sets the tone for a strong, supportive partnership built around the wellbeing of our students.”
Comments Stagecoach South West Managing Director Peter Knight: “We are proud to partner with Callywith College and play a key role in helping students to access education safely and efficiently.
“This new livery represents a shared vision of progress and investment in the future of local transport.”
