Great Western Coffee Shop

A call from a friend, asking for an update on multiday / weeklong public transport tickets covering services in Wiltshire across mulitple operators.  Scenario - friends visiting who want to get around and see our beautiful part of the country without having to much about with a large number of individual tickets.   Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?   I think you can get something like it in Cornwall ... but not aware of an answer in Wiltshire.

1. You have the Wiltshire DAY rover for buses - goodness knows why it's not extendable to a week. No trains. Covers through journeys to Frome (from Trowbridge and Warminster) at to Bath (from Chippenham, Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham) and some others to the south and east, but no break of journey outside Wiltshire.
http://www.passenger.chat/12333

2. You have the Freedom of Severn and Solent rail ticket - but does not cover buses, nor is it valid to Pewsey - probably the most central station in the county. We don't seem to have a thread that's specific to FOSS (and the Freedom of the Wouth West which expands the area to Penzance) but tou can find more at
http://www.railrover.org/pages/freedom-of-severn-and-solent-rover.html

3. You have the new Great West Way explorer tickets. The "Global" one is valid at all stations in the county (except Tisbury and Dean?) And on selected buses. Note it's valid into Frome on the D2 bus but not by train from Westbury, nor on any other buses to Frome.  Devizes only on the 49 (Swindon to Trowbridge) services, and in the evenings and on Sundays on the D3 from Bath. Bought in the UK - morning peak restrictions. Outside the UK purchased - no time restrictions.
http://www.passenger.chat/21046

Have I overlooked anything?

Depending on exactly where your friends are going, there is also AvonRider:


There is also the Heart of Wessex Day Ranger (http://www.railrover.org/pages/heart-of-wessex-day-ranger.html) which is valid on the Heart of Wessex, TransWilts Swindon-Westbury and Swindon-Bristol Parkway/Temple Meads rail routes as well as to Pewsey and a number of Greater Bristol suburban rail stations, including the Severn Beach line and even Pilning if they are feeling adventurous...

Freedom Travelpass by GWR and First Bus West of England tickets both available as day tickets, weekly or monthly seasons as well. Check them out.

They're good ... but they don't extend into Wiltshire.

I have asked for a zone "E" to be added bearing in mind my Bath Bus User Group / Melksham Transport Role.    Both the GWR and First Bus reps were advocating use of these tickets at the Keysham meeting we both were at the other week.   The First Bus senior person involved has responded and is very positive to the idea.   I have, though, been deafened by the silence so far from the GWR person.

Extending the Freedom Travel pass to Chippenham, Melksham, Warminster and Frome would be a massive encourgaement to people to leave their cars at home when travelling into Bath or Bristol, knowing that they could travel back by train or bus as was approproate - and bearing in mind that both trains and buses to Frome and to Melksham can be a bit infrequent at certain times, so the ability to switch would be wonderful.

The First Bus West of England tickets do extend into Wiltshire - see map here. (https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/node_images/bristol-bath-and-west/West%20of%20England%20Zone%20Map%20logo%20V1.png)

Yes - the First Bus (West of England) tickets do ... the Freedom Travel Pass does not - see that map  ;D (https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west/tickets/ticket-types/freedom-travelpass).  The First Bus ticket only covers buses run by First ... there's also the Avon Rider which now covers buses out into Wiltshire too, and for both competing operators.

All of which, sadly, is taking us a long way from the desires "any bus in Wilsthire" or "any public transport in Wiltshire" ticket for a week's carefree exploration.

I proposed a Wiltshire Travelpass along the lines of the Freedom Travelpass as an idea for the first ever TransWilts CCIF application, and got support from bus companies for the idea as well, but other priorities meant it didnt make the bid itself.

After talking to Wiltshire Council I was told the following
Issues to do with funding
The bus operators don't receive enough incentive to compensate for offering such a ticket.

I dont buy that I'm afraid. Both First West of England and Faresaver participate in the Freedom Travelpass so it's perfectly possible to do, and there were no objections in principle from the bus operators I approached at the time I was looking into a potential Wiltshire Travelpass.