Simplicity of fares and ease of access to information for customers will be key to continuing the recovery of patronage on the Blackpool Transport network, the Fylde bus and tram operator has said.
On Sunday 9 August it introduced two flat fares – £1.90 and £2.40 – for bus travel within Blackpool. When combined with changes to adult period-duration passes, that has resulted in a reduction of all adult ticket prices.
Such a step represents one tool that can leverage people’s increasing willingness to use public transport as recovery from the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, says Marketing and Commercial Manager Shane Grindey. But replacement of a graduated fare scheme has been on the operator’s agenda for around 18 months. It had found that an “opaque” scale can deter customers from making journeys.
“The delay to introducing the changes came from us wanting to be certain that they would deliver the benefits we wanted for customers and for the company,” adds Mr Grindey.
“In January we recognised that the shape of Blackpool’s operating territory lends itself to a simple bi-zonal system. That approach became our preferred option.”
Blackpool Transport upgrades information as part of fares revamp
As part of Blackpool Transport’s work to simplify its fares, on-street information will also be upgraded. The operator hopes that from September, each of the over 700 bus stops in Blackpool Borough will carry sufficient information for customers to know the cost of their ticket before they board.
Creating an open environment, where fare information is easily available before a journey is made, is a further part of the operator’s plans to grow patronage, Mr Grindey continues. Removing any anxiety about unknown fares is important.
Bus patronage for Blackpool Transport has now recovered to 55% of the level seen in the corresponding week in 2019.
Although the operator uses a different methodology to that utilised by the Department for Transport when it collates nationwide transport usage statistics, the extent to which ridership has returned for Blackpool Transport is well ahead of the national average.
Usage has been growing by 9% week-on-week since May, although that rate slowed slightly when trams were reintroduced and some bus users transferred their journeys to the alternate mode. A flat tram fare of £2.10 was introduced when bus fares were revised.
Change has potential to grow annual patronage by 200,000
Advice received from The TAS Partnership indicates that the change to fares could grow customer numbers by 200,000 per year, with a proportionate increase in revenue.
“There were caveats with the advice relating to how difficult it is to forecast the generative effects of reducing fares,” adds Mr Grindey. “But it gave us confidence to try it in a trading environment where the usual measures and inhibitions are no longer relevant.”
The introduction of flat fares also makes the rollout of daily capping via contactless payments attractive. Blackpool Transport is warm to that idea. Once it has established contactless payments it will look to introduce a daily cap for users of that payment method, but at a higher rate than its pre-purchased 24hr ticket to maintain that product’s attractiveness.
In addition to the changes to adult fares, young people up to the age of 21 are now able to benefit from reduced price tickets.
