First Bus has announced changes to fares across Leeds and West Yorkshire for the first time in 18 months.
From Monday (July 3) single fares will rise from £1.40 and £1.80 respectively to £2 although the price will remain unchanged for customers using the Tap On Tap Off (TOTO) card readers.
The TOTO system charges for a single journey and customers who make several bus trips each day on First Bus services will pay the standard fare on the first day which then continues to reduce the more they travel during a week.
To use TOTO a person uses their contactless bank card or mobile at the ticket machine next to the driver but must ‘tap’ again on the card reader device when leaving the bus.
The MCard available from Metro which can be topped up using cash at bus station Travel Centres and self-service PayZone machines, will give cash-paying customers access to the same best value Singles.
The most popular Return fare will remain at £4 but this will be the standard price for all return journeys.
Kayeigh Ingham, Commercial Director of North & West Yorkshire, said: “The majority of our single fare tickets are staying at the same price but we’re asking our customers to help us continue to achieve this by using TOTO or the pre-paid MCard.
“We have also continued to ensure that the average cost per trip of making multiple journeys remains low.”
She added: “These fare changes reflect the customer travel and buying habits we’re now seeing since the pandemic.
“Our business is not immune from the impact of inflation and rising business costs. We have looked carefully at how we can limit price increases for customers and balance this with the challenge of maintaining a sustainable network as we build back passenger numbers.
“At a time when everyone is looking at how to manage rising living costs and how much they use their own transport with continued high fuel prices, the bus is an affordable and sustainable way to travel.”
Posters will begin appearing on buses from today (Wednesday, 28 June) and further details about the fare changes can be found by visiting the First Bus Leeds website.
First are ditching the £1.40 evening fare altogether. That’s a heck of a price hike for those using their service at those times and, funnily enough, not mentioned in this positively spun press release.
My mistake, it does mention it, just not specifically the bit about evening service. That’s an Inflation busting 30% hike for evening bus service users.