Stagecoach East increases bus fares due to rising costs

A bus company said it had "no option" but to increase fares due to rising costs.

Stagecoach East, which operates buses across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Bedfordshire, said it was facing "significantly increased costs".

The price of a daily adult travel ticket has increased by 39p on average.

Lucy Nethsingha, Liberal Democrat leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said the increase was "deeply unjustified".

Stagecoach East said adult "town zone" day tickets, which allow unlimited travel around certain towns, will increase from £4.20 to £4.50. It has also cancelled the Ely town zone because of "low usage".

But the operator is taking part in the government-funded £2 fare scheme, which is capping single tickets at £2 on most routes.

Darren Roe, the company's managing director, said these were its first "network-wide" price increases since 2018.

Mr Roe said the company had "consistently delivered some of the lowest ticket prices in the country" and it was "committed" to keeping its services "as affordable as possible".

"Given the increased cost we are incurring, we have no option but to slightly increase our fares.," he said.

"We have worked hard to absorb as many of these costs as possible to keep increases below the level of national inflation rates."

Ms Nethsingha said the increases were "a dreadful start to the New Year".

"Coming on top of woeful reliability issues for all public transport in recent months, rising fares seem deeply unjustified," she said.

"For me this is yet more evidence that we need radical improvements to our whole public transport system.

"Years of privatisation have totally failed, and I am pleased [Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's] new Mayor is looking at all options for improvement."

The increase comes as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is asking residents for their views on a new tax to raise money to support bus routes.

A consultation on the the Combined Authority's financial plans closes on 13 January.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership is also analysing responses to a consultation on proposals to fund a £50m expansion of the county's bus network by charging drivers at least £5 to drive into and around Cambridge on weekdays.

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