Bus operator First West of England has announced that it is increasing the prices of some of its fares and cutting the discount offered to young people with effect from Sunday 9th July 2023.
The increases are being blamed on fuel costs and the “general cost of living”
In a move that will particularly impact some users of Bradley Stoke’s service 73 now that it no longer serves Cribbs Causeway, the price of an adult 2-trip ticket is being increased from £3.50 to £3.80.
There are also increases across the board for young people aged 16-21 and students, as the discount relative to the respective adult fares is being reduced from typically 25 percent to around 20 percent. For example, the young person and student single fare is going up from £1.50 to £1.70 and the 2-trip ticket from £2.70 to £3.20.
Thanks to an ongoing government-funded subsidy scheme, the price of an adult single ticket remains capped at £2 and a child single at £1. The £2 cap on the adult single fare runs until 31st October, after which it will rise to £2.50.
Rob Pymm, commercial director at 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.”
“We believe our fares represent good value for travelling sustainably at a time when fuel costs and the general cost of living remain high.”
More information and related links:
- A simple guide to your tickets from 9th July 2023 (First) [PDF; 7.85MB]
- Bus Services in Bradley Stoke (The Journal)
