Stagecoach South West confirms changes to fares

Stagecoach South West has confirmed changes to bus fares from 6 March 2022.

The announcement will see prices frozen on app products, saving customers on average 10% compared to the on bus price.

These are the first increases made by Stagecoach South West for nearly three years and reflect the rising costs of running services. Since 2019, costs across the bus industry have risen by around 12%.

Almost all the money received in fares goes towards paying for the day-to-day running of services as well as investing in improvements. The amount of money bus operators receive in fares to keep services running remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Mike Watson Managing Director for Stagecoach South West said: “Stagecoach has consistently delivered some of the lowest ticket prices in the country and we are committed to continuing to keep fares as low as possible for our passengers.

“Like many sectors of the economy, bus operators are seeing significant cost inflation, primarily driven by increased fuel and staffing costs. At the same time, the money bus operators receive in fares to keep services running remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

“The changes we are making follow a fares freeze for nearly three years and are reflective of rises in inflation.

“As well as paying for the day to day running of the South West’s vital bus networks, ticket costs help us to continue investing in improvements for our passengers, and pay for our staff who have worked hard to keep communities connected and services running during the pandemic.”

“By freezing prices on our mobile app, customer’s will be able to purchase daily and weekly products for the same price they’re used to and have the benefit of having their ticket loaded and ready to go before they board the bus. We’ve made significant investment in the tools available in our mobile app, with customers now being able to view their bus as it approaches via our live map, and also see ahead of time how busy the bus is likely to be.”

The announcement means that customers will be able to enjoy 2019 prices on daily and weekly tickets when purchased via the popular Stagecoach mobile App. Dayrider and one week megarider tickets are available in all zones as mobile tickets via the app. The company is focussing on it’s digital products to help keep operating costs down, speed up boarding times and reduce cash handling.

The company’s innovative dayrider and megarider products allow passengers to benefit from unlimited travel within their chosen zone, providing an affordable option for those to get the best value from the ticket they’ve purchased.  Alongside this the company’s on bus single tickets will see a small increase of as little as 10p depending on the length of the customer’s journey. 

In 2021, new flexible products were trialled in Exeter and Exeter Plus zones to welcome people back to bus as travel patterns change. When purchasing one of the company’s flexi bundles, customers save up to 30% on the cost of daily travel, and have 12 months to choose which day to use their ticket. As part of the new local fare structure Stagecoach South West have announced these trial products will be a permanent offer in their ticket range, as well as exploring other zones to offer the products.

In addition to the new products on offer, the company will be freezing the price of their value Niterider ticket at just £3 on the app. The ticket allows unlimited travel across the whole network until end of service. Stagecoach South West Managing director Mike Watson says ‘We are pleased to offer evening travel at the same price as in 2019 across our network. We hope this will support the evening economy in our local areas and allow our customers to travel home safely from their evening out.’

Stagecoach is making significant investment in improvements for customers, and investing in new greener vehicles as part of its sustainability strategy. Key improvements include:

• Launch of a new dedicated customer contact centre providing customers with an easily accessible one-stop contact point for getting help with any queries about their bus service.
• As part of the customer transformation strategy, Stagecoach is making major investment in a new customer relationship management system to help provide tailored support, better understand customers’ end-to-end journeys, and quickly address any emerging common issues.
• Introduction of simpler, more consistent fares, easier to understand ticket types and through the use of technology, delivering new and more flexible products.
• Investment in greener vehicles, including electric buses, as part of an overall target for a zero emissions UK bus fleet by 2035.
• Investment in new technology to help provide improved timetables and more reliable services.

For more information about ticketing and fares, visit www.stagecoachbus.com.