Bus Fares

Sugardonut

First Bus have put the fares up yet again - some by 28%!!! :mad::mad:

Not be long and i'll be cheaper getting a taxi to work! Seems the SNP are to blame for giving free bus journeys to the over 60's, whereas anywhere else in the UK it's over 65's. Another crazy policy punishing the many to help the few.

pogofish

Sugardonut wrote: »

First Bus have put the fares up yet again - some by 28%!!! :mad::mad:

Not be long and i'll be cheaper getting a taxi to work! Seems the SNP are to blame for giving free bus journeys to the over 60's, whereas anywhere else in the UK it's over 65's. Another crazy policy punishing the many to help the few.

Its not that - A few months back, First's CEO admitted in an interview with the Aberdeen Press and Journal that the majority of any fare rises for the next few years will be the result of First's corporate failures in the US - where they have been landed with a load of school bus contracts that are losing them money hand over fist.

It seems that along with our own costs, we are paying to send American kids to school.

I'm afraid the P&J archive only goes back six months for us non-payers, so I can't link it.

Sugardonut

First Bus have a monopoly so they can get away with thes underhand tactics - can't help but feel if we had more choice in bus operators the fares would be cheaper.

pogofish

Competition, or even a return to efficent public ownership and operation maybe? - Remember that GRT, which formed the core of First Bus on deregulation was one of the more efficent public operators for its day.

podperson

Sugardonut wrote: »

First Bus have put the fares up yet again - some by 28%!!! :mad::mad:

Not be long and i'll be cheaper getting a taxi to work! Seems the SNP are to blame for giving free bus journeys to the over 60's, whereas anywhere else in the UK it's over 65's. Another crazy policy punishing the many to help the few.

I'm in Edinburgh and the First buses are actually cheaper then the Lothian buses here. Also my mum and dad live in England and get free bus travel even though they are over 60 but not over 65, they say they know others who live in different counties who get the same so not sure where you get the idea that it's only in Scotland.

McKneff

Its not over 65 in England. It is at State Pension age which is gradually making its way up to 65.

By the way, did you realise that Scottish people can use their free bus pass in England, but we can't use ours up in Scotland. Now that is annoyin

vfish

podperson wrote: »

I'm in Edinburgh and the First buses are actually cheaper then the Lothian buses here.

Not any more - it lasted a couple of weeks I think while First were working out their revised prices but they're back to the same price within Lothian Buses limits and I now pay 2.90 between Kirkliston and Corstorphine (inside city limits) because Lothian Buses don't go out there and so First can charge what they like!

CKhalvashi

Sugardonut wrote: »

First Bus have put the fares up yet again - some by 28%!!! :mad::mad:

Not be long and i'll be cheaper getting a taxi to work!

Assuming a family of 4, it’s actually cheaper to get a taxi into London than a train. It’s effective marketing for us!

CK

Derivative

Bus fares don't really bother me, they seem expensive, but when you take the time to compare them with the equivalents, they're not bad at all.

Both up North (far cheaper) and in the SE I've found bus travel reasonably priced. Where I live now, you can get an annual pass for £400-500.

Compare that to driving a car - insurance alone is likely to cost that. Taxis, you'd be looking at about £10 per 6 mile journey, so probably closer to a few grand a year.

This is all for a single person, if you're a family, you're probably better off getting a car, but then that should be obvious - a car costs the same whether 4 or 1 people are in it (besides some marginal amount of petrol).

Edinburghlass_2

McKneff wrote: »

By the way, did you realise that Scottish people can use their free bus pass in England, but we can't use ours up in Scotland. Now that is annoyin

Wrong I'm afraid, the concessionary pass gives free travel Scotland wide and you can travel across the border to Carlisle for instance but not use it in England or Wales. Same with the Welsh concessionary pass.

podperson

vfish wrote: »

Not any more - it lasted a couple of weeks I think while First were working out their revised prices but they're back to the same price within Lothian Buses limits and I now pay 2.90 between Kirkliston and Corstorphine (inside city limits) because Lothian Buses don't go out there and so First can charge what they like!

Got a First bus this morning and it was still cheaper fares. Tbh they are rather daft if they don't take advantage of the fact they are cheaper for once - my route has both Lothian and First buses running so normally I will get whichever comes first. If the First is cheaper then will wait an extra few minutes for it. Don't think they are extortionate really, travelled to the Borders from Edinburgh last weekend, took about an hour and cost me £8.50 return, which is probably comparable to a train journey of the same time.