As part of Torbay Council’s commitment to improving public transport, a new ferry service between Brixham and Torquay is to be introduced. Operated by Brixham Express Limited journey opportunities by sea will now be available all year round for peak commute times and throughout the day. The ferry will run between the new pontoons at New Pier, Brixham and Beacon Quay, Torquay.

Trials for this new service will commence on Sunday 23 November with it fully operating from Monday 1 December. The new service will offer an alternative to road travel in terms of time and efficiency.

The Brixham Express Ferry service has been contracted for an initial five year period and they have already employed crew from Torbay and will also be starting an apprenticeship scheme in the spring.

New pontoons have been built to accommodate passengers requiring wheelchair access and pushchairs as well as bicycles. The service timetable has been integrated with a new bus service in Torquay that commenced on Saturday 8 November. This new route 33 is operated by Stagecoach and connects the Harbour to Torbay Hospital, Edginswell and the Willows. Additionally, a new cycleway is in development between Torquay Harbour and the Hospital.

The funding for the new pontoons, Brixham Express Ferry Service and Stagecoach Bus Service has been provided through the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund which aims to widen travel choices for all passengers and provide innovative, sustainable solutions to reducing the volume of traffic on our roads.

Mayor Gordon Oliver said: “It is great to see the express ferry service between Brixham and Torquay giving commuters a sustainable option to travel across the Bay. It highlights the Council’s ongoing commitment to improving transport in the Bay.”

Councillor Nicole Amil, Executive Lead for Harbours, Culture and the Arts, said: “This type of operation will complement existing uses of the harbour and we will continue to work closely with Stagecoach and the Brixham Express Ferry service. The new pontoons provide excellent access for passengers using wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles.”

Mary O’Driscoll from Brixham Express Limited, said: “We are offering an innovative, relaxing and enjoyable way to commute across Tor Bay, which will be attractive and affordable. For example free Wi-Fi is available to passengers and bicycles are carried free of charge. This unique service will allow you to travel from Brixham to Torquay in just 20 minutes, making it competitive with the private car. With the service commencement now only days away, we’re gearing up for the launch of the service and looking forward to meeting our new customers soon.”

To accompany these new services Torbay Council has launched Travel Torbay which provides information on transport in Torbay to the general public. This can be accessed online at www.traveltorbay.info, through Facebook at www.facebook.com/traveltorbay, and on Twitter @traveltorbay.