Falcon Fares

Fares News from Megabus: 

From June 1st, adult fares across the Falcon route will be increasing by an average of 3%. As always, we have worked hard to keep our fare changes to a minimum for our customers, while also continuing to navigate rising costs within our operations. 🚌

Tickets purchased prior to 1st June remain valid and can be used until their expiry date. 

I have no idea what the new fares are , the days when there was a nice easy farechart readily available one line seem to have long gone! (unless I have just missed it?)

Citybus Fares Change this weekend

 

From Sunday 29th March 2026 there will be changes to fares across the Plymouth Citybus network.  We have delayed an increase in fares for as long as possible, with our last increase taking place in January 2025. As costs continue to rise, we have taken steps to minimise any impact passed onto the passenger, including freezing fares where we can. 

Plymouth Singles and Returns 
Plymouth Citybus will continue to take part in the Governments national £3 bus fare cap 
scheme, meaning all single trips are capped at £3.  There will be three fare bandings, dependant on distance. Shorter and longer distance fares will be frozen at £2.50 and £3 respectively. Middle-distance fare will increase from £2.50 to £2.80.  
Under 19 fares will be £2, £2.50 or £3, dependant on distance.  
We will continue to offer returns tickets at double the single fare, capped at £6. 

Plymouth Kid Add-On  
The ‘Kid Add-On’ ticket benefits over 150,000 families each year, reducing the cost of travel.   
This ticket will be frozen at just £2. Allowing all day travel for those 16 and under , traveling with an adult or concessionary pass holder.  

Plymouth Season Tickets  
Our 4 week and 13 week tickets, used by those travelling most frequently by bus will be 
frozen.  Plymouth day tickets will increase by 50p, with weekly tickets and 5 day bundles increasing by £2. 

Other Tickets  
Nightrider, Weekend Wonder and all Ocean City Sights tickets will be frozen.  

Tamar Connect Tickets  
Tickets allowing travel across all Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus services will go up for just the second time in 7 years. 

Where to get info? 
We understand that these changes to fares may raise questions. Our customer service team 
are here to assist you with any further information or assistance you may need. Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

The full list can be found here

Stagecoach Fare Zones

From January 4, 2026, Stagecoach South West will roll out a major shake‑up of bus fares across Devon, introducing a new zone‑based system designed to make travel clearer, fairer, and better value.

🔑 Key Changes

• 10‑Mile Travel Zones: Each zone (Greater Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay, North Devon) will cover a 10‑mile radius from the town or city centre, ensuring consistent pricing for nearby villages and communities.

• Aligned Ticket Prices: Adult day tickets set at £6.50, child tickets at £4.30, with weekly, monthly, and term tickets standardized across all zones.

• South West Zone Option: For wider travel, unlimited journeys across the whole Stagecoach South West network will cost £10 per day or £40 per week.

• Multibuy Discounts: New app‑based bundles will offer up to 30% savings, rewarding frequent travellers.

🌄 Impact on Communities

• Villages around Dartmoor (e.g., Yelverton, Ivybridge, Crediton, Ide) will benefit from clearer zone boundaries and fairer pricing.

• Passengers who previously lived just outside a zone edge will now enjoy the same unlimited travel options as those inside.

• Stagecoach says the overhaul will make fares easier to understand and better value for money, encouraging more people to use buses for everyday travel.

🗣 Company Statement

Peter Knight, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, explained:

“By making travelling by bus simpler and more consistent across the South West, we’re providing easier to understand fares together with better value for money.”

This marks one of the biggest fare reforms in Devon in years, aiming to end confusion and support communities that rely heavily on bus links for work, school, and leisure.

Fare Deals

Stagecoach Fares:

Fare Changes in the South West from 20th July

The range of fare changes from 20th July are designed to make travel across the region simpler, faster, and better value – while supporting greener, digital-first journeys.

As part of the changes, single bus fares will continue to be capped at a maximum of £3, thanks to the Government’s ongoing national fare cap initiative. This ensures that whether you're heading into town or travelling further afield, your single journey remains affordable.

Key updates include:

• A simpler, broader South West zone ticket replaces several local ticket zones – giving customers wider travel flexibility with fewer ticket types to choose from.

• Lower prices for South West zone tickets, including a reduced price £10 day ticket, valid across the South West, plus reductions on weekly and 4-week options. This means customers can access unlimited travel across the South West from as little as £5.29 per day when purchasing a 28-day megarider Gold

• For groups of up to 5 people travelling together, the £20 Group Ticket is perfect for those summer days out with family and friends and is valid across the South West network. This ticket enables each person access to unlimited travel from just £4 for the whole day.
• Withdrawal of some legacy tickets, such as NiteRider, paper FlexiRider, smart cards, and certain college-specific fares, to streamline options, ensuring you have the right ticket for your journey.
• Those customers currently buying longer term tickets on smart cards can purchase the same range of tickets through the Stagecoach app, and have their ticket delivered instantly to their mobile.
• The £2 promotional single fare will increase slightly to £2.20, helping Stagecoach continue to deliver high-quality services and helping to maintain a sustainable bus network.
• Customers are encouraged to make use of the Stagecoach app, which lets you:

• Plan your journey
• Track buses in real time
• Buy and activate tickets before boarding

Using the app and contactless payment not only makes travel more convenient but also reduces boarding times and helps cut down on paper tickets – making travel more efficient and sustainable.

Peter Knight, Managing Director at Stagecoach South West, said:

“These changes are about making it easier for customers to travel confidently, affordably, and sustainably.

With single fares remaining capped at £3, and unlimited journeys for a day at £10 across the South West, we’re keeping the cost of travel affordable. By simplifying ticket choices, and investing in digital first solutions like our app, we’re working to create a better experience for every journey.”

The new day and longer term ticket prices from 20^th July are as follows:

Area	Adult Day	Child Day	Group Day	7 Day	28 Day	Flexi 5	Flexi 10
Barnstaple	£5.00	£4.60	£11.00	£22.00	£85.00	£22.00	£38.50
Exeter	£5.50	£4.60	£11.00	£22.00	£85.00	£22.00	£38.50
Plymouth	£5.50	£4.60	£11.00	£22.00	£85.00	£22.00	£38.50
Torbay	£7.00	£4.60	£14.00	£28.00	£106.00	£28.00	£49.00
South West	£10.00	£6.60	£20.00	£40.00	£148.00	£40.00	£70.00

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Service and Ticketing Update – Go Cornwall Bus

Guaranteed Connections in Callington

From 27th July, Go Cornwall Bus will introduce guaranteed connections between services 12 and 76A in Callington. This improvement is made possible by a reallocation of resources following the conclusion of the Callywith College contract. The change will enhance connectivity and reliability for passengers travelling between Plymouth, South East Cornwall and North Cornwall.

Fare Simplification: ‘Tamar Connect’ Ticket

To improve clarity and reflect actual usage, the Plymouth Plus ticket will be renamed to ‘Tamar Connect’ from 7th July.

The ticket will remain at £10 for adults and £7.50 for those under 19

It allows unlimited day travel on all Go Cornwall Bus and Plymouth Citybus routes across Cornwall and Plymouth and can be purchased onboard with cash or contactless and the Plymouth Citybus App

Staying in Cornwall?

For those travelling within Cornwall only (e.g. Bude to Saltash), the Cornwall Day ticket remains available at £8 for adults and £5 for those under 19. It can be purchased onboard or via the Transport for Cornwall App.

Fares and Shelters

Some passengers who have begun the New Year travelling to work by bus have been affected by changes to the fares on the Plymouth Citybus network.

The firm posted on its website on December 18, 2024, announcing the revised bus fares which would affect journeys from Thursday January 2, 2025.

However, Citybus has now confirmed that there was an initial error on their website and "more passengers will now pay the lower fare of a £2.50 single", with longer journeys capped to £3.

Season tickets have increased by £1 and weekly tickets are now £4 more. The last increase on these tickets was in January 2024, 12 months ago.

Plymouth Citybus has confirmed there are no changes to the Plymouth Schools tickets. A spokesperson for Plymouth Citybus said: "We understand that these changes to fares may raise questions. Our customer service team is here to assist you with any further information or assistance you may need.

"Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we strive to enhance your travel experience with Plymouth Citybus."

Here are the revised fares as of January 2, 2025:

Plymouth Singles and Returns:

Plymouth Citybus will continue to take part in the Governments national bus fare cap scheme, which will rise to £3 from January 2025. All single trips will be capped at £3 - but "more passengers will now pay the lower fare of a £2.50 single".

All returns are double the single fare, capped at £6 for adults and £5.50 for children.

Plymouth Kid Add-On:

After 7 years being charged at £1.50, the ‘Kid Add-On’ tickets will increase to £2.

Plymouth Season Tickets:

Plymouth day tickets will increase by £1, with weekly tickets increasing by £4. There will be no change to Plymouth Schools tickets.

Royal Parade

From Monday 13th January, the remaining JCDecaux bus shelters on Royal Parade will start to be removed. The last removal will take place on Tuesday 28th January.

Each shelter will take one day to remove. During this time, buses scheduled to operate from the shelter being removed will be relocated to Derry's Cross in front of the Premier Inn from start of service on the day of removal until the works are completed, which is expected to be by 4pm on the same day.

Bus stop poles and flags will temporarily replace the shelters, so passengers know where to catch their bus. Shelters will still be available at the next stop for all services, either on Exeter Street Viaduct or Charles Street, depending on the service, except for service 25 where passengers can still get this service at the bottom of Royal Parade at stop A9.

The bus has long gone and soon the shelter will also be gone...

The planned schedule for removal can be found here

Cornish Fares Increasing

Bus fares changing in Cornwall from this weekend:

Some bus fares in Cornwall will be increasing from Sunday 29 September. We’ve been subsidising fares to keep them at reduced prices since we introduced our Bus Fares Pilot in April 2022, allowing passengers to save millions of pounds. But rises in operating costs mean that you will now see a small change in the price of some of our fares.

We’ve also looked at which products are most important to you, our customers, and as a result we are simplifying the selection of tickets you can buy.

The full list of affected fares can be seen below. Bus operators continue to work with Cornwall Council and Department for Transport to cap all single bus tickets at £2 until 31 December 2024 with funding from HM Government Help for Households, while under 5s can still travel for free.

 

I am surprised to see the loss of the monthly options as this will lead to some pretty hefty fare increases for regular travellers. We are all still waiting to hear what happens to the £2 single bus ticket cap at the end of the year. If that also goes then I can see bus usage dropping right back again as people will be hit with very large increases. The option to prepay for a whole month and therefore save money does seem like an odd one to drop. Sure the prices will go up, but why not still offer the same tickets? 

Simplified Fares for Citybus

Plymouth Citybus have announced fare changes:

First the good news. Plymouth Citybus are continuing to take part in the Governments ‘Help for Households’ £2 fare cap scheme, capping all single trips, anywhere on our network at just £2. Since the introduction 12 months ago, we have seen a huge increase in passengers buying single tickets, taking advantage of the government funded scheme. Over 80% people buying tickets on bus are now buying the £2 single ticket. For you, nothing changes.

We think it is now the right time to also cap returns at £4, meaning passengers will no longer have to buy two singles if they are traveling a longer distance, where the return fare was over £4. Doing this makes sure you are always getting the best value ticket. For us to do this some returns below £4 have will increase.

Plymouth Kid Add-On

For the sixth year running we are freezing the price of our ever popular ‘Kid Add-On’ at just £1.50, which helps hundreds of thousands of families each year.

Season Tickets

Tickets of one day and above will increase in price. This is only the third increase since 2019. There is no change to either Plymouth Schools tickets, or Plymouth Plus tickets.

Plymouth Day Tickets

Adults will increase to £6, Under 18’s to £4.50.

Bundles of 5-day tickets will be £24 Adult (£4.80 a day) and £18 Under 18’s (£3.60 a day).

Family day tickets will be reduced to £10, for up to 2 adults and up to 3 children.

Plymouth Week and Longer Tickets

Adults weekly tickets will increase to £24, Under 18’s to £18.

4 week and 13 week tickets will increase at the same rate as the weekly ticket.

‘Tap & Cap’

These changes make ‘Tap & Cap’ simpler to use and we hope in turn more people will use it.

Simply ‘tap on’ using your contactless payment method at the machine next to the driver and ‘tap off’ using the machine on the hand pole next to the exit.

One trip will be charged at max £2

Two trips will be charged at max £4

Three trips or above in one day will be capped at £6

Weekly travel will be capped at £24

Where to get info?

We understand that these changes to fares may raise questions, and we are here to assist you every step of the way. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our customer service team if you require any further information or assistance. Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we strive to enhance your travel experience with Plymouth Citybus.

These new fares come in from Monday 19th February. For most people these will make no real difference and make city fares nice and easy to understand while the £2 fare cap is in place.

Green Bus Stops and Fares Cap Extended

I will be posting final details of next weekend timetable changes later in the week as quite a few of the new timetables have yet to appear on Traveline. So just a few bits of pieces tonight…

Green Bus Stops

LIVING-ROOFED bus shelters are making a scheduled stop in Tavistock.

The town council, in partnership with Launceston firm Fernbank Advertising, is providing the new shelters with mini-gardens on top this month.

The shelters have started appearing in the town centre and their roofs will be planted in the next few weeks.

The roofs will be planted with sedums, lit by solar power and use a dusk-til-dawn light sensor. Sedums are tolerant of dry windswept conditions in shallow soils. Environmental gardeners have already welcomed the garden roof as yet another ‘green’ initiative to support the council’s policy of sustainability and environmental commitment. The idea is for the gardens in the sky to help capture carbon emissions from traffic, encourage insect life and reduce run-off and flooding.

Tavistock Today

Bus Fare Cap Extended

Bus passengers in England will be able to keep travelling for £2 after the government extended funding by another £500m, easing fears about a further decline in local services.

The fare cap on most local buses, brought in as a temporary measure last year to boost patronage, will be extended until the end of October and then for another 13 months at £2.50 for a single journey, in a move that the Department for Transport said would support people with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector.

Bus operators, who had warned that up to 15% of routes could be lost when existing funding was due to run out at the end of June, welcomed the news but said it would not be enough to save every service.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures.

“Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments. That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people on to the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.”

Guardian

18 Today - and Fares are going up!

Plymothian Transit is 18 years old today!

Never expected it to last this long, so a big thank you to everyone who has contributed or even just popped in occasionally to read.

And now back to the reality of living to 2023 UK…Stagecoach have some news

From 2^nd April 2023 there will be some changes to bus fares across the South West.

We’ve worked to absorb significant cost increases to keep fares increases as low as possible for as long as possible for our passengers. Last year we froze prices, for the third year, across our popular mobile tickets, allowing customers to continue to enjoy daily and weekly unlimited travel for the same price as introduced in 2019.

As part of the new fare structure we’re rolling out Flexible Ticket Bundles across North Devon, Torbay and Plymouth zones, allowing you to save up to 30% on the cost of daily unlimited travel.

Just like the popular DayRider tickets, travel is unlimited across the day, and available via the Stagecoach Bus App. When you choose Flexi in bundles of 5 or 10 you have 12 months to choose which day to use your bus ticket all while saving up to 30% on the cost. The new bundles come in options of 5 or 10, the Flexi5 – 5 DayRiders for the price of 4 offers you 20% off the RRP, whilst the Flexi10 – 10 DayRiders for the price of 7 offers a saving of 30% off.

Increases will apply to dayrider and megarider products sold online, on bus and via our app.

Plymouth area zones will also be simplified as part of the new structure, with the Plymouth Inner Zone extended to the Plymouth Outer Zone boundary and renamed as a new Plymouth Zone. The Plymouth Plus zone boundary will remain in place.

Prices for single and return journey’s are not affected and customers can still benefit from the £2 fare through the Bus Fare Cap scheme.

I do wonder how these fares are generated as there are some interesting variations in the table above. A North Devon Adult Day ticket is 90p dearer than the Plymouth version but the child Day is 10p less! A One Week ticket is £21 for both of these areas but the 4 week is £6 dearer for North Devon whilst the 13 week tickers are the same price with the 52 week ticket costing £90 more in North Devon!

Rising bus fares are never welcome but operators have to cope with rising costs just like we are all having to do at the moment. Until the government can come up with a proper strategy rather than time limited gimmicks then nothing is going to change. Also the weird way that government likes to get councils to bid for extra money means that its central government that decides which areas get lower fares and lots of new electric buses leaving many areas with nothing. These awards are often politically motivated more than anything else rather than genuinely based on need. The best that Plymouth can hope for at the moment is that all the new buses being placed into service in a few areas may release decent mid-life buses for use here. It looks likely that Plymouth Citybus may be getting double deckers from Go Ahead Oxford when their new electric fleets arrives. (Plans can and do change!)

The current £2 fare is of course welcome but at some stage will come to an end, meaning a big jump in fares for many of us. It remains to be seen if the deal is extended beyond June. (And if it does get extended again, how much notice the government gives operators this time). How about a decent cost capped day ticket that's available for all operators in an area. If its deemed to be useful for Cornwall to have this why shouldn't it be available for Devon passengers too?

What do people think?

£2 Fare Deal Extended until end of June!

Millions of passengers across England will benefit from £155 million in government support to cap bus fares at £2, maintain services and ensure people can travel affordably. The Transport Secretary today (17 February 2023) confirmed £80 million from 1 April to 30 June 2023 to protect vital bus services people rely on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping.

The government has also announced plans to provide up to £75 million so that bus operators can continue to cap single bus fares outside of London at £2 until the end of June, saving passengers money and encouraging more people back on the bus. With the average single local bus ticket costing £2.80, passengers can save almost a third of the ticket price. Bus operators that are continuing the £2 fare cap scheme will be confirmed in due course.

During the pandemic, bus usage dropped as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels, and the government has provided unprecedented financial support totalling more than £2 billion since March 2020.

With bus patronage still at around 85 to 90% of pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) levels, there are a number of ongoing challenges for bus operators. The government is working closely with the sector on the challenges they face with changing travel patterns since the pandemic and will continue to work on delivering the National Bus Strategy.

The government’s existing £60 million investment to cap single bus fares has already shown early signs of increased bus use, with an independent survey of 1,000 people from passenger watchdog Transport Focus showing 7% of people saying they are using the bus more. During these difficult economic times, these trends already indicate that the government’s support to cap fares is a welcome intervention, helping families, commuters and all passengers to ease the cost of living.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.

Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy – connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.

I’m determined to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the same opportunities to get around easily and can feel pride in your local area – which is why protecting our local bus services is so important.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic.

We’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes – helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way.

The recovery grant support comes in addition to government investment of £3 billion in bus services by 2025, including over £1 billion to improve fares, services and infrastructure.

In 2021, the government published the National Bus Strategy, and asked all English local transport authorities outside London to publish their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) setting out local visions for the step-change in bus services that is needed, driven by what passengers and would-be passengers want.

Since then, over £1 billion has been awarded to 34 counties, city regions and unitary authorities to deliver service improvements, bus priority and ambitious fares initiatives. In addition, £5.7 billion investment has been provided to 8 mayoral combined authorities in England to support integrated, cross-modal transport networks over the next 5 years through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), including supporting bus infrastructure.

Link

It does say that operators that will continue to participate in the scheme will be announced in due course. I would be surprised if our local operators decided against it!

Citybus Recovery Plan

Plymouth Citybus have posted the reasons behind their service changes coming up, giving an honest account of where they find themselves…

Today, (5th April 2022) Plymouth Citybus Management advised customers of changes to the Plymouth Bus Operation that form part of a multistep recovery plan commencing on 10th April 2022.

Along with many other organisations, the company is facing significant headwinds in terms of increasing costs and stagnant demand supressing revenue. Fare paying passengers are currently at 80% and free concession passengers at 60% of pre-Covid levels.

The company explained that, as with all bus operators, it has been in receipt of Government funding that was only paying for capacity to meet social distancing requirements. Now that the Government requirement for social distancing has been removed, the funding that was maintaining the network at pre-Covid levels is now being phased out.

The company has responded by developing a recovery plan that will secure as much of the existing network as possible, matching timetables to current demand levels. The company knows this will not be pain free as the only actions available are to increase prices and reduce service levels in areas with insufficient demand to cover the cost of operation.

Therefore, on 10th April 2022, prices across the network will increase by an average of 8%, (the first fare increase since Autumn 2019); to try and aid families the popular add a child for £1.50 ticket has been frozen.

Additionally, on the 10th of April 2022, the previously announced frequency changes to services 8/9, along with changes to services into Cornwall take effect. With the ensuing reduction to Torpoint services, the 33 timetable has been rerouted via Ford Hill to maintain a half hourly service to Stoke via Wilton Street.

The next step in the recovery plan takes effect at the end of the school holidays from 24th April 2022.

From this date changes to the network will affect the 5/5A which will operate between Royal Parade and Plymstock only; with the section between Royal Parade and Saltash being withdrawn.

There are changes to the way Southway is served, with reductions to service 41, the withdrawal of service 40 and then the provision of new journey solutions, through enhancements to services 42 and 42A.

The 42 and 42A will provide four buses an hour from Southway, operating via Looseleigh Lane or the George Junction to Derriford before continuing to Royal Parade. Additionally, a revised service 41 will run hourly to Mayflower Street, providing services to Sir John Hunt school.

The company is working with Plymouth City Council to finalise the next steps of the recovery plan that are anticipated to be implemented in September 2022.

Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus, said: “It is hard to see any good news in the steps we have been forced to take; in truth, they could have been much worse. As a company we have minimised the impact of the current situation the bus industry finds itself in, by absorbing as many costs as possible. This is a vital reset of our operation, that will provide a platform for reliable service delivery and an opportunity to grow back over coming years.

"It is no secret that our operational delivery has been severely challenged over recent months, I am hugely grateful for the patience and support our customers have shown and the valiant efforts of my team. I am personally devastated that people who rely on our services will have to shoulder the consequences of our Covid recovery in this way.

"With no further funding available, this is the only viable way forward; these changes are implemented with a heavy heart, I am sincerely sorry for the impact this may have on people’s lives.”

Route	Details
5/5A	Withdrawn from Devonport and Saltash to make it more reliable between Plymstock and the City Centre. Anyone wanting to travel between Saltash and the City Centre can use Services 11, 12 or 72 every 20 minutes. Anyone wanting to travel between Devonport and the City Centre can use Services 21 or 21A every 10 minutes. School holiday timetables revised to reflect lower traffic levels.
27	Journeys between 16:00 and 18:00 from Royal Parade will run five minutes later on weekdays.
28/28A	28A brought back into use to serve Mainstone as Forder Valley will be reopened, replacing Service 42. Services 28 and 28A will each run hourly, covering Henders Corner, Culver Way and Charfield Drive every half hour between them. Service 28 will continue via Shallowford Road and Austin Crescent to Crownhill, and Service 28A will go via Miles Mitchell and Forder Valley to Mainstone and Asda. The early journey from Derriford Hospital at 06:38 will run seven minutes earlier at 06:31.
34/34A	New service 34A will run between the City Centre and Royal William Yard. Service 34 will no longer go to Durnford Street or Royal William Yard, making a more direct route between Derriford Hospital, the City Centre and Devonport. Some weekday afternoon and early evening journeys are being extended to serve Plymbridge Road and Estover Industrial Estate, covering part of the former Service 42. The first Sunday journey to the City Centre will run five minutes earlier
40/40A/41/41A	40 and 41 services replaced by the 42 and 42A. Anyone wanting to travel between Whitleigh and Southway will need to change at Crownhill. Service 71 will also provide an alternative link between Whitleigh and Looseleigh. 40A and 41A services withdrawn to be replaced by the 44 for journeys to Whitleigh and the 42A for journeys to Southway. Southway will now be serviced mainly by services 42 and 42A, as set out below. The 42 and 42A will provide four buses an hour from Southway, operating via Looseleigh Lane or the George Junction to Derriford before continuing to Royal Parade. Additionally, a revised service 41 will run hourly to Mayflower Street, providing services to Sir John Hunt school.
42	Route changed to cover Southway running via Southway Drive, Clittaford Road, Flamborough Road and back down Southway Drive, it will no longer cover Estover and Mainstone. Retimed around Manadon Roundabout to improve reliability. School holiday timetables revised to reflect lower traffic levels. Evening journeys retimed to provide better departure times from Derriford Hospital towards the City Centre
42A	Route changed to cover Dunnet Road and Clittaford Road instead of the section between The Falstaff Inn and Southway Drive. Retimed around Manadon Roundabout to improve reliability. School holiday timetables revised to reflect lower traffic levels.
42C	Sunday timetable retimed to improve reliability. Retimed around Manadon Roundabout to improve reliability. School holiday timetables revised to reflect lower traffic levels.
44A	44A route changed to cover Taunton Avenue in both directions on most weekday journeys. Service 44 will have extra journeys on Sunday evenings to replace Services 40A and 41A. Retimed around Manadon Roundabout to improve reliability. School holiday timetables revised to reflect lower traffic levels.
807	Duplicate bus starting and ending at Mutley Plain is withdrawn – there will be just one bus on this service.

From Sunday 10th April 2022 we will introduce price increases across a number of tickets on the Plymouth Citybus network.

Why the changes?

As with many industries we have seen a large increase in our costs recently. We have tried to absorb as many of our cost increases as possible by working more efficiently to provide your bus services throughout Plymouth.

The last bus fares increase in Plymouth was back in 2019. We have tried to hold off on the decision to raise bus fares as long as possible.

What is changing?

We will be freezing the price of our ever popular ‘Kid Add-On’ at £1.50, which helps hundreds of thousands of families each year and has been at this price since 2018. Our Weekend Wonder, Night Rider and Group tickets, all remain frozen.

Tickets	Details
Singles & Returns	Single tickets will see an increase of 20p or 30p. Returns will see an increase of between 30p and 50p, dependant on distance travelled.
Day Tickets	Dayrider zone 1 & 2 ticket will increase by 30p to £5.00 for adults and £3.80 for children. We have been studying new passenger travel trends; to help passengers will be replacing our bundles of 12 Dayriders with a new ‘Flexi 5’ day ticket via our App. This will allow passengers to buy a bundle of 5 day tickets for just £20 (or £4 a day) for adults and £15.20 (or just over £3 a day) for children. The ticket bundle is valid for a month from purchase, meaning there is a lower up front cost to take advantage of the lowest cost day tickets.
Week & Month Tickets	Our weekly zone 1 & 2 ticket will rise by £1 to £20 for adults and £15 for children. This has only increased by 11% in over 5 years! We will be removing any of our route week tickets that are still in circulation.

I must admit I am more disappointed that the 12 rider ticket is no longer being offered as the replacement 5 day rider although reasonable value only lasts for one month.  It might become more usable for me later in the year but one month isnt that long. Having said that though I do have 11 dayriders left on my phone which at the current rate will last me well into Summer…You have a few days left to top up at the old prices…

Sources:

Date	Source	Publication	Archive Copy
05 Apr 2022	Plymouth Citybus	Today, (5th April 2022) Plymouth Citybus Management advised customers of changes to the Plymouth Bus Operation that form part of a multistep recovery plan commencing on 10th April 2022.	L0051
05 Apr 2022	Plymouth Citybus	We’re planning some changes in April which will involve reductions to some services as we continue to emerge from Covid.	L0052
05 Apr 2022	Plymouth Citybus	From Sunday 10th April 2022 we will introduce price increases across a number of tickets on the Plymouth Citybus network.	L0053
05 Apr 2022	Plymouth Citybus	Your Citybus Ticket Guide: New fares from 10th April 2022	L0054

Bus Fares increasing: Stagecoach

Along with everything else – bus fares are now starting to rise…

From 13 March 2022, there will be changes to our bus fares, in the first increase for nearly three years. Since 2019, costs across the bus industry have risen by around 12%. Prices will be frozen on our app products, saving you on average 10% compared to the on bus price.

Almost all the money received in fares goes towards paying for the day-to-day running of services as well as investing in improvements. The amount of money bus operators receive in fares to keep services running remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

By freezing our app prices you will be able to enjoy 2019 prices on daily and weekly mobile tickets. Dayrider and one week megarider tickets are available in all zones as mobile tickets via the app. By focussing on our digital products we hope to keep operating costs down, speed up boarding times and reduce cash handling.

Our innovative dayrider and megarider products allow you to benefit from unlimited travel within your chosen zone, providing an affordable option for you to get the best value from the ticket you’ve purchased.  Alongside this on bus single tickets will see a small increase of as little as 10p depending on the length of the your journey. 

Mike Watson Managing Director for Stagecoach South West said: “Stagecoach has consistently delivered some of the lowest ticket prices in the country and we are committed to continuing to keep fares as low as possible for our passengers.

“Like many sectors of the economy, bus operators are seeing significant cost inflation, primarily driven by increased fuel and staffing costs. At the same time, the money bus operators receive in fares to keep services running remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

“The changes we are making follow a fares freeze for nearly three years and are reflective of rises in inflation.

“As well as paying for the day to day running of the South West’s vital bus networks, ticket costs help us to continue investing in improvements for our passengers, and pay for our staff who have worked hard to keep communities connected and services running during the pandemic.”

“By freezing prices on our mobile app, customer’s will be able to purchase daily and weekly products for the same price they’re used to and have the benefit of having their ticket loaded and ready to go before they board the bus. We’ve made significant investment in the tools available in our mobile app, with customers now being able to view their bus as it approaches via our live map, and also see ahead of time how busy the bus is likely to be.”

In 2021, new flexible products were trialled in Exeter and Exeter Plus zones to welcome people back to bus as travel patterns change. When purchasing one of our flexi bundles, you save up to 30% on the cost of daily travel, and have 12 months to choose which day to use your ticket. As part of the new local fare structure these trial products will be a permanent offer in our ticket range, and we’ll be exploring other zones to offer these products.

In addition to the new products on offer, we will be freezing the price of our value Niterider ticket at just £3 on the app. The ticket allows unlimited travel across the whole network until end of service. Stagecoach South West Managing director Mike Watson says ‘We are pleased to offer evening travel at the same price as in 2019 across our network. We hope this will support the evening economy in our local areas and allow our customers to travel home safely from their evening out.’

The full list of multi tickets are on the  web site HERE but day ticket prices are as follows…

AREA	Adult Day	Adult	Child Day	Child Day3
	App	On Bus	App	On Bus
Barnstaple	£3.50	£3.90	£2.20	£2.40
Barnstaple PLUS	£4.00	£4.40	£3.00	£3.30
Dartmouth	£3.70	£4.20	£2.50	£2.90
Exeter	£4.20	£4.50	£3.10	£3.40
Exeter PLUS	£6.20	£6.80	£4.20	£4.60
Exmouth	£3.80	£4.20	£2.60	£2.90
Newton Abbot	£3.70	£4.10	£2.50	£2.80
North Devon	£4.80	£5.30	£3.10	£3.40
Plymouth inner	£3.90	£4.40	£2.80	£3.00
Plymouth outer	£4.20	£4.50	£3.10	£3.50
Plymouth PLUS	£5.80	£6.60	£4.00	£4.60
Torbay	£5.00	£5.50	£3.50	£3.90
Gold	£8.30	£9.10	£5.50	£6.10

I suspect that Citybus and First wont be far behind…