The latest edition of a two-yearly fares survey has revealed a reduction in fares for three-mile bus journeys compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other findings, TAS Partnership’s 7th National Bus Fares Survey reported the mean price of a ticket for 1,242 sample journeys analysed in September 2022 was £2.47. The survey included fares right across the UK outside London.
This compared to £2.48 in 2019, representing a reduction of 0.1% since the last survey. Due to COVID funding freezing fares, the 2021 report was delayed.
Of the journeys of approximately three miles, the cheapest found was by a 90p ride offered by Richards Bros in Fishguard, south west Wales. The most expensive ticket found was £4.50.
The mean price of a day ticket was £5.29 – an increase of 1.6% over three years earlier.
Stagecoach North Scotland’s Peterhead Megarider was the cheapest weekly ticket sampled at £9.60 – versus the mean value of £19.37.
The report says that the survey highlights the affordability of bus transport as against running a car. The average cost of a weekly bus ticket represented less than 3% of the average salary compared to more 9% for a private vehicle, not taking into account any form of finance or congestion charges.
The survey also found that 100% of operators sampled offered contactless payments and 98% mobile ticketing.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) says it will use the findings to make the case to UK governments and devolved bodies for stable, long-term funding.
Graham Vidler, CPT Chief Executive, says: “Despite inflationary pressures operators are facing, travelling by bus remains great value for money for existing passengers and those looking to save money or change their travel habits, with the average weekly ticket costing less outside London than within it.
“Not only can people travel in comfort, but key investment made by bus companies means that now all journeys can be made using contactless payment.”
CPT also argues that convenience had further improved, with 41 out of 115 operators sampled having a Tap-on Tap-off (TOTO) contactless capping fare system. Flexible or carnet tickets, where multiple individual tickets are purchased in bulk, have been on the rise and these offered savings of up to 30%.
TAS Senior Consultant Matthew Moll, says: “The bus sector continues to adapt to changes in technology, demand and political thinking.
“The last year has shown that operators have continued to absorb cost increases with average weekly ticket price increasing by only 7.5% since 2019 compared to a 19.7% increase in retail price index.”
Bill Hiron, Managing Director of Stephensons of Essex and Chair of the Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM), adds: “ALBUM is delighted to support TAS’s 2022 National Bus Fares Survey.
“We spend much time convincing politicians and other stakeholders of the benefits of good bus services, and it is only with accurate data that we can make our points hit home. Work such as this is invaluable in providing the ammunition we need in shaping the debate.”
The affordability of bus fares noted in the survey reflected findings in the Department for Transport’s most recent fares survey, which showed a 4.6% rise in 2022 as against overall inflation at 10.5%.
