(29 Dec 2024, 2:08 pm)Storx wrote Mind I'm surprised there hasn't been some discussion here as there's some nasty price hikes sneaking in here unless singles are being reduced in price and there's another fare zone between £2.30 and £3.00 for the more Southern areas.
For example on the 15 in, Stockton to Ragworth Shops is currently a £3.50 return, the current single fare is £2.10 so that's either £4.60 a return now, or even worse £5.30 (Day Ticket) That's a hike and a half.
Darlington is much of the same, ie picking out the 4 some current fares are (using the grid on BusTimes)
Zone A: £1.40 / £2.00 Return
Zone B: £2.40 / £3.90 Return
These are now at least
Zone A: £1.60 / £3.20 Return
Zone B: £2.50 or £3.00 / £4.60 Day Ticket
Massive price increases there and that's before mentioning the £1 evening fare is scrapped on the lot.
I can't really comment, as I don't know the area outside of the North East CA well enough to, but I'd be asking questions of why the Tees Valley CA aren't doing more to step in?
I don't think Kim has gone far enough to only go half way, but I suppose it is a positive that she's protected fares for young people and reduced the cap increase. Whereas Ben is doing very little for the CA in terms of buses, yet at the same time, the Airport that he keeps bankrolling has posted losses again, and of around £6.6m for this year.