(02 May 2015, 11:14 am)Tom wrote Buzzfare prices are increasing.
I'll take a photo of the details when I'm next on the bus.

Did you notice what their excuse/reasoning was?

Will be interesting to tie up the regional thoughts, compared to the patter shareholders get on reducing overheads and increasing margins.

(02 May 2015, 11:17 am)Andreos1 wrote Did you notice what their excuse/reasoning was?

Will be interesting to tie up the regional thoughts, compared to the patter shareholders get on reducing overheads and increasing margins.

No I didn't sorry.
I'll let you know when I'm on the bus.

(02 May 2015, 11:18 am)Tom wrote No I didn't sorry.
I'll let you know when I'm on the bus.

Nice to see they've put in on their website.......... Oh wait! 

Can u check what date they're going up, when you're on the bus? 

(02 May 2015, 11:18 am)Tom wrote No I didn't sorry.
I'll let you know when I'm on the bus.

I wonder if staff are getting a pay rise, in line with their loyalty and dedication to the cause?

Fuel costs down, strategies in place to manage insurance premiums, lower overheads through technology implemented at bus depots and on on vehicles - just as a starter.

Aye, if you could. Cheers.

(02 May 2015, 11:19 am)Michael wrote Nice to see they've put in on their website.......... Oh wait! 

Can u check what date they're going up, when you're on the bus? 

(02 May 2015, 11:24 am)Andreos1 wrote I wonder if staff are getting a pay rise, in line with their loyalty and dedication to the cause?

Fuel costs down, strategies in place to manage insurance premiums, lower overheads through technology implemented at bus depots and on on vehicles - just as a starter.

Aye, if you could. Cheers.

Yeah I will

(02 May 2015, 11:17 am)Andreos1 wrote Did you notice what their excuse/reasoning was?

Will be interesting to tie up the regional thoughts, compared to the patter shareholders get on reducing overheads and increasing margins.

Could be in anticipation of possible action by the new government - freezing prices 

(02 May 2015, 12:05 pm)G-CPTN wrote Could be in anticipation of possible action by the new government - freezing prices 

There could be a number of factors. This section on their third quarter update is curious though.

Bus:

Regional:

As expected, revenue growth slowed in the third quarter due to the lapping of contract gains in the same period last year. Passenger journey growth continued to slow, with ongoing economic weakness in the north east affecting our operations, and roadworks in Oxford and Brighton significantly impacting our services in those areas.

Year to date growth rates:
Revenue Passenger journeys
c.3%. c.-1%

Source: http://m.go-ahead.com/media/news/2015-ne...-2015.aspx

Whilst not specific to the North East, the report states that revenue is increasing and passenger journeys dropping - across their network.

Nice of them to identify economic weakness in the NE, as a reason for passenger growth slowing...

(02 May 2015, 11:19 am)Michael wrote Nice to see they've put in on their website.......... Oh wait! 

Can u check what date they're going up, when you're on the bus? 

The fare revisions come into effect from Wednesday 6th May 2015.

Go North East doesn't tend to summarise the fare revisions in news articles on its website. Those who buy tickets online or use the M-Ticket app are usually contacted directly, and all other customers are informed by notices on-board buses (which clearly works - as Tom noticed fares were being revised straight away). These notices have been on-board most buses for the past week or so. The 'Our Tickets' section of Go North East's website will presumably be updated on Tuesday ready for the fares coming into effect the following day.

BuzzFare 1 Day (On The Bus)
1 Zone: £4.75 to £4.85
2 Zone: £6.20 to £6.30
3+ Zone: £7.70 to £7.80.

BuzzFare 7 Day (On The Bus)
1 Zone: £18.50 to £18.90
2 Zone: £24.50 to £24.90
3+ Zone: £32.00 to £32.50

Buying 'off the bus' remains to be the cheaper option, loading directly onto the company's Key Card or mobile app, opposed to having a paper ticket.

Most fares remain unchanged, and those tickets which have been revised are typically a 10p increase, so still offer very good value for money. Operators up and down the country have revised their fares over the past few weeks, and I've noticed there are some rather more significant price increases elsewhere.

Not everyone looks at the notice boards though....

A strange move when inflation (CPI) is at 0.3%.

Using the figures above, the average rise for 1 day tickets is 1.67%, with the average for 7 day tickets being 1.78%. Making both rises at least 5x the rate of inflation.

Such an increase is unaffordable and is going to really hit some low paid workers. Baring in mind that employers will point towards inflation being so low, when they attempt to wriggle out of reviewing their staff salaries for the coming year...

(02 May 2015, 12:34 pm)Michael wrote Not everyone looks at the notice boards though....

Which is evident everytime there are changes to services and increases to fares.

Appreciate you can lead a horse to water (and the rest), but if the same excuses come up time after time, the penny may drop that alternative methods need to be used more often.

(02 May 2015, 12:42 pm)aureolin wrote A strange move when inflation (CPI) is at 0.3%.

Using the figures above, the average rise for 1 day tickets is 1.67%, with the average for 7 day tickets being 1.78%. Making both rises at least 5x the rate of inflation.

Such an increase is unaffordable and is going to really hit some low paid workers. Baring in mind that employers will point towards inflation being so low, when they attempt to wriggle out of reviewing their staff salaries for the coming year...

You were right in the prices thread.
Close to deflation, costs dropping - yet fares increasing.

The poor state of the economy in the NE is used as a justification at national level, yet those living and working in the struggling economy, are the ones paying the price.

(02 May 2015, 1:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote Which is evident everytime there are changes to services and increases to fares.

Appreciate you can lead a horse to water (and the rest), but if the same excuses come up time after time, the penny may drop that alternative methods need to be used more often.


You were right in the prices thread.
Close to deflation, costs dropping - yet fares increasing.

The poor state of the economy in the NE is used as a justification at national level, yet those living and working in the struggling economy, are the ones paying the price.

The thing is that some people will be thinking "Oh it's just 10p","It's just 50p" etc, but it's all contributing towards a very worrying trend. The Trussell Trust published their mid year statistics for 2014-15, showing that in 2014-15, an alarming 22.04% of referrals to their food banks were in fact those on low incomes. Up from 16% in the last period. 

This isn't an optional extra like pay-TV or a mobile phone plan that you can go without. Public transport is a necessity to some, preventing their low income from becoming a no-income. 

(02 May 2015, 1:13 pm)aureolin wrote The thing is that some people will be thinking "Oh it's just 10p","It's just 50p" etc, but it's all contributing towards a very worrying trend. The Trussell Trust published their mid year statistics for 2014-15, showing that in 2014-15, an alarming 22.04% of referrals to their food banks were in fact those on low incomes. Up from 16% in the last period. 

This isn't an optional extra like pay-TV or a mobile phone plan that you can go without. Public transport is a necessity to some, preventing their low income from becoming a no-income.

Network Ticketing, SNE and now GNE - all by the same 10p margin, but differing percentage increases, due to the original pricing. But all above inflation and during a spell of almost deflation.
Not good.

Had a ride on 5 vehicles (well 4, as I used the same Cadet twice), all out of Washington.
Apart from the President (I sat upstairs), none had the poster advising of the price changes.

The Mercs had the 4 revisions from Feb. Cadet had 82/82a Harras Bank changes.

(02 May 2015, 12:34 pm)Michael wrote Not everyone looks at the notice boards though....

Not everyone looks at the destination blind either.

(02 May 2015, 12:42 pm)aureolin wrote A strange move when inflation (CPI) is at 0.3%.

Using the figures above, the average rise for 1 day tickets is 1.67%, with the average for 7 day tickets being 1.78%. Making both rises at least 5x the rate of inflation.

Such an increase is unaffordable and is going to really hit some low paid workers. Baring in mind that employers will point towards inflation being so low, when they attempt to wriggle out of reviewing their staff salaries for the coming year...

Lothian Buses has increased the price of its day ticket (which covers a smaller area than the North East equivalent GNE BuzzFare or ANE 'All Zones' day tickets) from £3.50 to £4.00.

This is a 14.28% price increase, and at least 47x the rate of inflation, based on your 0.3% figure.

(03 May 2015, 7:20 am)Dan wrote Lothian Buses has increased the price of its day ticket (which covers a smaller area than the North East equivalent GNE BuzzFare or ANE 'All Zones' day tickets) from £3.50 to £4.00.

This is a 14.28% price increase, and at least 47x the rate of inflation, based on your 0.3% figure.

It's not just two operators either.

- Average of 2.3% for bus and tram in London
- Average of 3.5% for Stagecoach in Cambridge
- Average of 4.76% for First in Aberdeen.

It's disgraceful really. 

22/23/X21 - Sunderland to Peterlee.

£5.10 single, but a two zone day ticket is £4.90. 

(05 May 2015, 1:57 pm)Tom wrote 22/23/X21 - Sunderland to Peterlee.

£5.10 single, but a two zone day ticket is £4.90. 

The East Durham triple ticket 2 zone is at a reduced price at present from £5.??p.

Its £5.10 single on 21 Peterlee to Darlington.

the bus companies are pushing out their day tickets out so you only use their buses for the day.

(05 May 2015, 2:54 pm)cbma06 wrote The East Durham triple ticket 2 zone is at a reduced price at present from £5.??p.

Its £5.10 single on 21 Peterlee to Darlington.

the bus companies are pushing out their day tickets out so you only use their buses for the day.

You would think they would reduce their singles too? 

(05 May 2015, 3:11 pm)Tom wrote You would think they would reduce their singles too? 

Isn't the concessionary fares reimbursement formula based on an average of the single fare or something?

(06 May 2015, 11:22 am)Chris wrote Isn't the concessionary fares reimbursement formula based on an average of the single fare or something?

Average across all one day tickets I believe. So singles, returns, transfares, day tickets, etc. But not season tickets, i.e. Weekly, monthly and annual passes.

Not mentioned anywhere as far as I can see, but some single fares have also increased as my mam was charged £2.80 as opposed to £2.70 on the 1 today!

Is this the case for all fares?

(07 May 2015, 4:32 pm)Tom wrote Not mentioned anywhere as far as I can see, but some single fares have also increased as my mam was charged £2.80 as opposed to £2.70 on the 1 today!

Is this the case for all fares?

Went up Yesterday, still £1.50 from Lambton to The Galleries for me according to the poster on board the 82 I got on Yesterday, think its the Long Distance Single Fares which have gone up i.e. Washington Galleries to Royal Hospital, along with Day/Weekly Savers as a Washington Day Saver is now £3.30 and Week Saver is £11.

(07 May 2015, 4:36 pm)Malarkey wrote Went up Yesterday, still £1.50 from Lambton to The Galleries for me according to the poster on board the 82 I got on Yesterday, think its the Long Distance Single Fares which have gone up i.e. Washington Galleries to Royal Hospital, along with Day/Weekly Savers as a Washington Day Saver is now £3.30 and Week Saver is £11.

Ah right, bit rubbish that nothing was mentioned even though the Buzzfares were. 

(07 May 2015, 4:39 pm)Tom wrote Ah right, bit rubbish that nothing was mentioned even though the Buzzfares were. 

A corporate liveried bus I was on today had details of single fares changing. A "Blaydon Racers" branded bus had details of the BuzzFares changing.

GNE has increased Buzzfares & some Route Savers.

Price increase e.g. Crusader was £13 now £13.30 since May 6th 2015
Buzzfare 3 zones 1 day+ was £7.20 (i think) now £7.80

(07 May 2015, 5:44 pm)Panasonic44 wrote GNE has increased Buzzfares & some Route Savers. Also they have confirmed single prices have not been affected.

Price increase e.g. Crusader was £13 now £13.30 since May 6th 2015
Buzzfare 3 zones 1 day+ was £7.20 (i think) now £7.80

Where is this confirmation?

Some adult single fares on a selection of primarily branded routes have increased in price (by 10p), although not all. As an example (in addition to Tom's example above), the adult single fare on the X66 service has increased from £2.70 to £2.80, although the Newcastle & Gateshead day ticket is still priced at £3.50.

This ties in with what cbma06 was saying previously. By and large, bus operators price their single tickets and return or day tickets quite closely. If you ask the driver on the X66 how much a single costs, and s/he advises you that it costs £2.80, while a day ticket is £3.50, you may change your mind and hand over the extra 70p "just in case" you end up needing to come back.

Before this goes off-topic again and we start discussing national fare increases, it's been moved to the appropriate thread (again).

This is from Facebook Chat (Hi ******, information on the fare increases were displayed on our website and on buses prior to the increases. It is only our Buzzfare and some route saver tickets that have increased). I did remove single fares increase in was incorrent.

(07 May 2015, 6:23 pm)Panasonic44 wrote This is from Facebook Chat (Hi ******, information on the fare increases were displayed on our website and on buses prior to the increases. It is only our Buzzfare and some route saver tickets that have increased). I did remove single fares increase in was incorrent.

Were they? I've just taken a look again, and definitely can't find anything.