29 December 2011

Festive Fayre

106Taking into account significant increases in its operating costs, First is revising some bus fares across its network from Sunday 1 January. The changes affect all standard single and return fares as well as many day, week and month, 3Month, 6Month and annual tickets. Fares for the Plymouth Park and Ride service, which First operates on a commercial basis, have also been reviewed.

 

From Sunday 1 January single and return bus fares will be increased by between 10 and 50 pence each.

Talking about the changes, Robbie Lamerton, General Manager for First in Devon and Cornwall, says: "We understand that this will not be welcome news, but we need to revise some of our fares to ensure that they adequately cover the costs we face in operating buses in this part of the world.
"Over recent years there has been increasing pressure on our business as we contend with rising fuel costs and reductions in the level and type of funding we are able to access from other sources. The expected reduction from April 2012 in the Bus Service Operators Grant, which partly refunds some of the excise duty we pay on the fuel we buy and which has historically been in place as a subsidy for fare-paying passengers, means we must also act now to mitigate the impact of that change on our business as a whole.


"We have kept the increases as small as we have been able to, and where possible have frozen some of the most popular fares.

"We want people to continue using our services and we have done what we can to keep the cost of multi journey tickets as low as possible, making it cheaper for those people who use our buses the most often. As a company we believe that the cost of bus travel remains competitive, particularly when compared with cost of other types of transport, for instance the total cost involved in running a private car (particularly when parking costs, insurance, tax and depreciation are also considered), or the cost of taking a taxi.

"Our season ticket products particularly represent great value for money, rewarding loyalty and significantly cutting the cost compared with the standard walk on fares, for instance a customer in Plymouth can enjoy unlimited daily travel in the area for as little as £1.43 a day. We would urge our customers to look at these products, taking advantage of all they have to offer."

For more information about all the changes being made or to find out more about the various season tickets products that are available, call our customer services team on: 0845 600 1420.

Businesses in the region are also encouraged to consider joining the First Corporate Travel Club. Membership of the club is free and available to any company, regardless of size. Having joined the club, members " and their staff - can take advantage of significant savings on a number of season ticket products. For more information about the Corporate Travel Club contact Steve Hobbs, Commercial Business Manager, on 02380 714824.
New prices for day, week and month tickets are as below:

FirstDay Plymouth, Adult £3.10
FirstDay Plymouth, Child £2.80
FirstDay Plymouth Plus, Adult £4.60
FirstDay Plymouth Plus, Child £3.20
FirstDay Plymouth, Family £7.00
FirstDay Tavilinx £6.35

FirstWeek Plymouth City £11.30
FirstWeek Plymouth £14.50
FirstWeek Plymouth Plus £20.50
FirstWeek Plymouth, Child £10.80
FirstWeek Plymouth Plus, Child £15.00
FirstWeek TaviLinx £26.50

FirstMonth Plymouth City £38.00
FirstMonth Plymouth £58.00
FirstMonth Plymouth Plus £75.00
FirstMonth Plymouth, Child £43.00
FirstMonth Plymouth Plus, Child £50.00
FirstMonth Plymstock £32.00

New Plymouth Park & Ride Fares:
Adult Single, Milehouse £1.40
Adult Single, George - Milehouse £1.65
Adult Single, Windsor £1.95
Adult Single, George £2.35
Family Return, Milehouse £4.10
Family Return, George £4.70
Adult Return, Milehouse £1.90
Adult Return, George - Milehouse £2.05
Adult Returm, Windsor £2.35
Adult Return, George £2.55

The full fare list can be found here on their web site – I have just listed the main ones for Plymouth in this post.


Recommended Links

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11 comments:

  1. I think that still makes my fares on the inner/city zone cheaper on First than Citybus even after the price increase!!

    Citybus are sustantially more to citycentre from here anyhow, so Day,Weekly and Month tickets will still be quite bit cheaper than Citybus...particularly as First give you a whole month not 28 days!!! Walk on fares will have to wait and see but would have to go up by over 40p on return before they would even equal Citybus fares!!It will also be the First time my walk on fare has gone up since the end of 2009 so not too bad I suppose!!!

    First Day Plymouth should be £3.40 not £3.10 though..I think this is a typo on their website!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think the days of First Devon and Cornwall are numbered according to the most recent Buses magazine an article states that First is looking to dispose of some of its more rural bus operations that dont sit comfortably with the group.

    Im sure Devon and Cornwall will be sold off and I wont be sad to see the removal of First down here, for a PLC they are a shoddy operation who keeps cutting and cutting.

    At least Go Ahead have increased passenger numbers 4% year on year for the past 2 years, they must be getting something right!

    ReplyDelete
  3. That keeps coming up but they are rebranding in 2012 so would seem pointless. Also who would they sell to ?? It needs to be someone different than Go Ahead as we need competition... Go Ahead would hike fares beyond belief I reckon if thet had it all their own way!!!"

    ReplyDelete
  4. The 4% increase by citybus is just a play on numbers - all operators use this trick (what it doesnt say is how many passengers per mile..now that would be an interesting stat, but doubt they would publish it!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Any idea on return and single fares from Saltash?

    You get more for you money out of a Citybus dayrider anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think saltash ...firstday is best at £3.40!!! Cheaper than return. Single you prob better off on Western Greyhound!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Citybus and Western Greyhound are the same price in Saltash - Citybus offer the better service (Which I use) in my opinion.

    First are un-reliable in Saltash and often the drivers are miserable, let alone the manky B6's.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Citybus services are poor I find...and very unreliable...it may ay every 10 mins on timetable but that is not normally the case in reality...First are way better in my opinion.

    In Saltash First every 10 mins, Citybus every 30 mons and no evening/sunday service...no comparison really!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Target-Travel/214590621949324

    target travel is now on facebook and are lot cheaper than two big companies. Please have a look

    ReplyDelete
  10. Not mant Target buses though are there ???

    Any idea how much return Hartley Vale to City is on Target ???

    ReplyDelete
  11. To be fare my First fare has gone up 10p single, 20p return to city and this is the first increase since 2009 I think.

    Even after the increase they are still 20p cheaper than Citybus for these fares and pounds cheaper for weekly, monthly passes etc so can't really complain. I am sure Citybus will put their fares up again before the summer anyhow!!!

    ReplyDelete

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