First West of England will be increasing the prices of some of its fares and cutting discounts for young people starting this weekend. The bus operator has said the price rises represent "good value for travelling sustainably at a time when fuel costs and the general cost of living remain high".
The announcement of the changes comes on the same day as the launch of the Bristol birthday bus pass scheme, offering free bus travel to people during their birthday month. Changes to a number of fares will be in place from Sunday (July 9).
Single ticket fares will remain at £2 for adults and £1 for children as part of a government cap on bus fares in place until October 31, 2023. From November 1, the bus fare cap will change to £2.50 for single tickets. This cap will last until November 30, 2024.
Read more: People in Bristol can now get free buses during birthday month
Changes across the region include in Bristol and Bath, the price of an adult 2-Trip ticket will increase by 30p to £3.80. There are also changes to Day ticket prices and other fares in Bath, with an adult Day ticket increasing by 40p to £6.
First Bus has said student and young person discounts will be reduced to 20 per cent compared to up to 25 per cent previously. This means single fares in Bristol will rise to £1.70 and 2-Trip to £3.20.
In Weston-super-Mare, the price of an adult 2-Trip ticket will increase by 20p to £3.40, and there will also be changes to other fares, including the adult Day ticket increasing by 30p to £3.60. A child 2-Trip ticket will increase by 20p to £2 in the rest of the West of England area.
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Rob Pymm, Commercial Director for First West of England, said: “Our £2 adult and £1 child single tickets remain frozen, and while our 2-Trip fares in Bristol and Bath are increasing, adults will still be paying 50p less than this time last year. Like businesses generally, we continue to face significant pressure on our costs, which means we are having to increase our fares to enable continued investment in improving services for our customers.
“In Bristol and Bath, we invested significantly in operating more buses in April, and we have seen improved punctuality as a result. In Weston-super-Mare, our fares remain low compared to elsewhere in the region. We believe our fares represent good value for travelling sustainably at a time when fuel costs and the general cost of living remain high.”
A new government-supported scheme allowing people to travel free of charge during their birthday month also launched on Wednesday (July 5). The £8-million scheme will last a year and is aiming to encourage more people in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset to use the bus more often as well as help climate and congestion.
Last month, a government U-turn on funding rules gave fresh hope that some subsidised bus routes which were recently axed could be reinstated. The bus route cuts have left many people in certain areas cut off and others having to travel more than a mile to get to their nearest bus stop.
A full list of the new fares can be found on the First Bus website.
