From Sunday 25 September, bus operator First West of England is launching cheaper single and return fares across its Bath services as part of a wider set of changes to reflect changing travel patterns and make fares fairer for all.
In addition, as a result of government funding secured by the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council, customers travelling between Bath and other parts of the region will also see significant fare reductions.
Adult single fares in the Bath Zone will be reduced to just £2, a 10% reduction on the current £2.20 fare – which had already been reduced in January from £2.50 for tickets bought on the bus.
With the new, lower single fares and more than nine in every 10 single bus trips being made on single tickets, First West of England’s three-Stop Hop ticket will no longer be available.
For those making return journeys, the operator’s 2-Trip ticket will be reduced to £3.50 for adults, a reduction of over 18% on the current £4.30 fare. With the cheaper 2-Trip fare matching the current Night ticket fare, that ticket will be discontinued to make the ticket range simpler for customers.
First West of England’s Bath Zone Day and season ticket fares will increase from Sunday 25 September but will still offer the best value for those travelling more frequently. The Bath Zone adult Day ticket will increase from £5 to £5.60, but data shows that 63% of adults using this ticket make one or two bus trips, so could save by switching to the 2-Trip ticket. The average number of buses taken by the remaining customers in a day means the new £5.60 Day ticket cost equates to £1.49 per trip.
For those travelling between Bristol, Bath and other surrounding towns and villages, single fares are falling by up to 43% as a result of government funding secured by the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council as part of the Government’s Bus Back Better scheme. West of England Zone single fares will be capped at £3.70, giving customers significant savings compared to the current fares, which for adults range from £4.50 to £650 for longer journeys. 2-Trip tickets in the West of England Zone will also be reduced, as will day tickets for travel outside Bath, with the First West of England Zone Day ticket and the Avon Rider multi-operator day ticket dropping in price from £7.50 to £7.
Children aged 5-15 will also benefit from the funding, with a flat £1 fare for all child single journeys across the region, a saving of up to £2.30 compared to First West of England current fares.
The up to 30% discount for students and those aged between 16 and 21 will be reduced to up to 25% from 25 September. Changing travel patterns have seen these customers travelling at or above pre-pandemic levels, whilst adult customers are travelling less. The lower discount will achieve a more sustainable balance between the fares paid by adults and these groups, ensuring young customers and students still receive discounts that are comparable to those in other parts of the country, whilst enabling fare reductions elsewhere.
The new, cheaper single and 2-Trip fares are available on the First Bus app, through speedy contactless payment on the bus using First West of England’s Tap On, Tap Off technology, or when buying a ticket from the driver.
Doug Claringbold, Managing Director of First West of England, said, “In close partnership with the West of England Combined Authority and North Somerset Council we are bringing fairer fares for all. Following our January launch of new flexible tickets, reduced single fares and a new 2-Trip ticket that reduced costs for many of our Day ticket customers, these changes give our customers even lower single and return fares.
“The £2 single fare in Bath offers outstanding value and, rather than waiting for the Government’s temporary £2 single fare cap to start in January, we are taking action now to help our existing customers and to encourage new customers to use our Bath services.
“Although some other fares have increased as we face significant cost increases, as an overall package we are pleased to be able to balance this with significant reductions that will help many customers at a time when the cost of living is increasing so sharply.
Speaking about the package of reductions, West of England Mayor Dan Norris said, “It’s time to get on board for new fares. I’m delighted to be able to introduce this package to immediately help people facing a crippling cost-of-living crisis.
“At a time where the challenges on the buses are so huge, this is a real opportunity to create that virtuous cycle of more fare income to reinvest in our bus network which in turn will mean better buses for everyone. So my big message to local people is: please take advantage of this and take your children out for just £1. The more journeys you make, the more you will be helping us build the local bus system we both need and deserve. It’s also so very vital if we are going to meet our super-ambitious local 2030 net-zero targets”.
All the new fares can be found on the First West of England website