BUS FARES ARE SET TO RISE BY UP TO 22 PER CENT

Escalating Costs Force Fare Increases
First Bristol is due to increase the bus fare again on this Sunday, three times in a year and the following is quoting from Bristol Evening Post, saying from both bus company and local MP

11:00 - 02 December 2005 Bristol Evening Post

Tony Anthistle, managing director of First bus operations in Bristol, said: "Our insurance costs alone have risen by 89 per cent in the past five years. "In addition, we have seen large increases right across all fuels, including oil, over the last 12 months. All industries are working hard to manage ever-mounting costs and we in the bus industry are no different.

"First in Bristol has sought to keep to a minimum any cost increases that we pass on to customers. Unfortunately, these increases mean that costs are now seriously impacting on revenue.

"We are therefore faced with two stark choices - raise fares or reduce services in order to remain commercially viable.

"Clearly, no one wants to see services disappear. Therefore as our costs continue to rise, we have no alternative but to increase fares."

The company says it stocks fuel at a pre-determined price but these stocks will run out by next April, when costs are likely to rocket by at least 50 per cent.

Mr Anthistle said: "We know that we could wait until April to increase the cost of our fares but this delay would mean even more substantial fare increases in the new financial year."

The company also blames more vandalism on its fleet of buses for increased insurance costs.

However, Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy criticised First's decision.

She said: "These fares only went up in the summer. It seems to me pretty rich to turn around now and put them up again, particularly when people are pretty unhappy with the service. They seem to be saying they are struggling and that this is the only thing they can do."

Transport 2000 spokesman David Redgewell said the increased costs could only be met through putting up fares or improving subsidies.

He said: "Public transport is mostly funded through the taxpayer in other parts of the country, yet in Bristol the level of subsidy is going down.

"It costs £150,000 to buy a new bus and £100,000 to run it for a year - you can't recoup this kind of money from fares alone - you've got to have Government subsidies."

[ref=438459]norrislaw[/ref]  在 2005-12-7 20:54 發表:

Escalating Costs Force Fare Increases
First Bristol is due to increase the bus fare again on this Sunday, three times in a year and the following is quoting from Bristol Evening Post, saying from  ...

I have recently heard from my schoolmate that even some of the route in Bath has
increased the farely recently (but I can't find any formal notice), by a huge
amount....
At the moment they are more willing to take a taxi with a few people than
taking those unfriendly buses...

It is also due to high volume of vandalism in Bristol, they claimed 250 incidents in the last eight weeks, means 125 per month, 31 incidents a week and in average 4 times a day

The cost of repair do kick the company's bottom and this is going to continue to rise. I assume the next time will be in April

Can anyone named any bus company in the UK charge such a high price as First Bristol?

[ref=438529]norrislaw[/ref]  在 2005-12-7 21:59 發表:

It is also due to high volume of vandalism in Bristol, they claimed 250 incidents in the last eight weeks, means 125 per month, 31 incidents a week and in average 4 times a day

The cost of repai ...

Just before I departed to Heathrow, I saw a notice on the bus, saying that the bus fare
of most of the route in Bath area have been increased on 12th, as a direct cause of
high fuel cost and high insurance....