10 May 2011

Fare Enough?

Western and Southern National Omnibus co ltd Setright bus ticket, c.1970. Machine nos 176 1323 839 Taking into account changes in its operating costs First Devon and Cornwall is revising bus fares across the region effective as of 15 May 2011. The changes affect most standard single and return fares. Marc Reddy, Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director, First, explains:

"We regret the need to increase the cost of bus travel but unfortunately we have no choice as our operating costs have changed.
"We have kept the increases as small as possible - and have frozen the prices of all our multi-journey tickets with the exception of the First3Day Devon and Cornwall Ticket, which was increased from 8 May.
In general most single and return adult and child fares will increase by between five and 20 pence from Sunday 15 May.


The following services are exempt from the May Fare Review: Services 31, 48, 82, X85, 303 in Devon plus the Atlantic Explorer service 8 in North Devon and Ugobus services 2, 3 and 6 in Plymouth. In Cornwall Service 300 - the open top summer service " is exempt from the Fare Review. Fare Changes

Also we have...
Due to continued increases in operating costs, such as fuel, and changes in government concessionary reimbursement our PR1 and PR2 fares will change to as follows from Monday 16 May 2011:
PR1 from The George

  • Adult single to City Centre £2.25
  • Adult return to City Centre £2.45
  • Adult single to Milehouse £1.55
  • Adult return to Milehouse £1.95
  • Adult single to Windsor House £1.25
  • Adult return to Windsor House £1.75
  • Family return to City Centre £4.70 (5 people, max 2 adults)
PR1 from Milehouse...
  • Adult single to City Centre £1.25
  • Adult return to City Centre £1.75
  • Adult single to The George £1.55
  • Adult return to The George £1.95
  • Adult single to Windsor House £1.25
  • Adult return to Windsor House £1.75
  • Family return to City Centre £3.90 (5 people, max 2 adults)
PR2 from Coypool...
  • Adult single to City Centre £1.95
  • Adult return to City Centre £2.05
  • Family return to City Centre £4.30 (5 people, max 2 adults)

10 journey saver tickets and the PR1 Plymouth Argyle £1 match day ticket remain unchanged.


It is interesting that the company are not raising fares on the 2,3 and 6 services. It does apply to my own bus the 15 which makes it even more expensive than the 50 although with my hospital bus pass it does not affect me as such. I know of one passenger who used to catch the 15 with me in the morning now waits for the next Citybus 50 as it saves her money.
Meanwhile up the road in Exeter we get this...
Transport campaigners in Exeter – Transition Exeter and the Devon group for the Campaign for Better Transport – have claimed that new lower cost fares being introduced by Stagecoach are a direct result of their campaigning efforts. While standard single and return tickets have risen by an average of just over 5%, Stagecoach is reducing the cost of the Dayrider ticket in Exeter from £4 to £3.50 and introducing a new ‘NiteRider ticket’ for £2, allowing unlimited travel on all Stagecoach services after 7pm.

Notice that the day rider ticker has quite a substantial reduction from £4 to £3.50 but this is still more that the Plymouth equivalent tickets of £3.30 for First and Citybus. The Torbay Dayrider is even more expensive at £4.70! The Niterider ticket looks like a good idea though...
Of course Exeter may have more expensive bus fares - but the bus fleet is much more up to date than anything we have in Plymouth. The investment in new buses in Exeter is a marked contrast to the total lack of investment in new buses in Plymouth over the last few years. Citybus is bringing more secondhand buses in to complete the low floor conversion of the fleet and First are also more likely to cascade newer buses in to Plymouth than bring anything new to the fleet. That said the recent refurbished double deckers for bus Citybus and First are good quality decent buses so does it really matter that they are not brand new? The vast majority of buses you can catch in Plymouth are comfortable enough. Would the passengers of Plymouth prefer to pay higher fares for newer buses?

Related Links

  • Transport campaigners in Exeter – Transition Exeter and the Devon group for the Campaign for Better Transport – have claimed that new lower cost fares being introduced by Stagecoach are a direct result of their campaigning efforts. Peoples Republic South Devon

Elsewhere on the net

  • The" Delaine (always "The" in the good old days) ran its first bus in 1919 with services from Bourne to Stamford, Spalding and Grantham. Public Transport Experience
  • The publication yesterday of the Competition Commission’s summary of its findings on the market investigation of the provincial bus industry and its notices of possible remedies could prove just as important to industry’s future direction as the Public Transport & Traffic white paper of 1967 and the Buses white paper of 1984. Omnibuses
  • You will I am sure periodically click the link on this page and read RouteONE Magazine which is featured here. Leon Daniels
  • I recently spent a few days back in the north west for a LUPTS (Liverpool University Public Transport Society) student reunion so I took the chance to get some photos beforehand. Transport Illustrated
  • First Hampshire, Dorset and South Somerset (ok, I'll stick with FHD) are set to announce their next set of changes to the Southampton network next week. Most routes have changes on, but the biggest change simply from VOSA appears to be the 11 and 12 Southern England Bus Scene
  • It all began when fbb arrived in Caernarfon on Wednesday last, 4th May. Although the Destination with the Dongle (read again) was delivered by motor car, fbb was anxious to take at least one North Walian tour using public transport Public Transport Experience
  • Said the Competition Commission, “Too many operators face little or no competition in local areas”. Of course, they’re right about a general lack of competition. But that need not be a bad thing in itself. In the light of the initial findings from the CC’s market investigation, has the English provincial bus industry failed to embrace the Transport Act 1985? Omnibuses
Western National Tickets photo: Creative Commons licensed flickr photo shared by SludgeGulper

4 comments:

  1. I suspect on the non increase on UGO 2,3 and 6 are to enable First to concentrate on pushing Citybus out of Plymstock, Barne Barton and Devonport,namely killing off the 5,5a and 26...surely First would not have pulled out of Honicknowle, Southway and more recently Plympton without something in return from Citybus???

    I do hope First don't cause damage to the UGO 15 by increasing fares but to be honest how long will it be until Citybus follow suit afterall they stated in February they would need to review fares soon..and were probably waiting for First to make the first move.

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  2. Why should Citybus give "something in return"? These are two seperate companies who aren't working in partnership. FDC pulled out of Honicknowle, Southway and Plympton because their operation was not financially viable. From the passenger numbers I see on the 5 and 5A I would suggest that Citybus do not have that problem and will not be leaving Plymstock

    ReplyDelete
  3. For one simple reason...it makes good business sense to both companies to split the routes...once First re route their 6 and new route 7 in Plymstock and increase the ugo 3 in Devonport I expect Citybus numbers will drop further...whilst they both operate on certain routes all they are doing is splitting the passengers which means they are both running more buses for less people!! Splitting routes between them means they both get highly profitable routes to themselves!! Lets face it neither company can win as it is!! Personally I prefer competition but it is unsustainable for both companies and will ultimately lead to job losses etc

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  4. COME ON FIRST HOW ABOUT A £2 NIGHTRIDER TICKET IN PLYMOUTH LIKE STAGECOACH IN EXETER, OR PERHAPS A FIRST DAY DUO LIKE CITYBUS FOR A FIVER..OR MAYBE A 3 DAY PLYMOUTH TICKET...SEEMS LIKE YOU NEED SOME MARKETING LESSONS!!!

    ReplyDelete

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