I was looking back at Network One prices, in relation to the 'saving' that is being mooted under the BSIP plans.
Back in 1984, the All Zones ticket was £186 a year:
Two years later, in 1986, prices appear to have frozen at £186:
A year later than that, in 1987, there's quite a considerable rise applied:
According to the Bank of England, inflation was at 4.2% then - but the All Zones ticket rose by
24.2%
Present day, that same ticket is now £1150, yet if ticket prices rose with inflation, it would only be £580.
- £186 in 1986 to £580 in 2021 would have been a 212% price rise.
- Instead, it has risen by 518% - more than double the rate of inflation.
I found it quite interesting to look back at the comparison, and when we talk about declining passenger numbers and blaming private car ownership, I think we should keep a focus on how people were priced out of public transport.