Will bus prices start decreasing again soon?

[The Wizard]

In the last ten years the price of a single ticket has risen 100%(doubled) and the Brighton & Hove bus company say it's due to rising costs so will the prices start to go down soon? I know plenty of people say 'it's good value for money' which I suppose to a point it is but surely there must reach a point where they have to stop raising prices?

 

[GingerBeerMan]

In the last ten years the price of a single ticket has risen 100%(doubled) and the Brighton & Hove bus company say it's due to rising costs so will the prices start to go down soon? I know plenty of people say 'it's good value for money' which I suppose to a point it is but surely there must reach a point where they have to stop raising prices?

If you don't like the prices just use the other bus company.
At least taxpayers money isn't being used to increase the city's dependence on busses.

 

[The Large One]

In the last ten years the price of a single ticket has risen 100%(doubled) and the Brighton & Hove bus company say it's due to rising costs so will the prices start to go down soon? I know plenty of people say 'it's good value for money' which I suppose to a point it is but surely there must reach a point where they have to stop raising prices?

I've never been convinced by the bus company's assertion of rising fuel costs to justify their annual price increases, especially when they didn't increase bus prices on the 23 and 25 services - they only ones where they had competition.

My belief is that the people of Brighton are subsidising other regions of the Go Ahead group which don't have so much bus use.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I cant affort the bus so I tend to get a taxi.

 

[Randsta]

I cant affort the bus so I tend to get a taxi.

if there are 3 or 4 of you this is cheaper usually

 

[Arthur]

In the last ten years the price of a single ticket has risen 100%(doubled) and the Brighton & Hove bus company say it's due to rising costs so will the prices start to go down soon? I know plenty of people say 'it's good value for money' which I suppose to a point it is but surely there must reach a point where they have to stop raising prices?

The cost of diesel 10 years ago on average was 78p and is currently on average 140p. So unless you thought the price 10 years ago was too high then you don't really have much on an argument.

Oh and...

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[seagullsovergrimsby]

I've never been convinced by the bus company's assertion of rising fuel costs to justify their annual price increases, especially when they didn't increase bus prices on the 23 and 25 services - they only ones where they had competition.

My belief is that the people of Brighton are subsidising other regions of the Go Ahead group which don't have so much bus use.

There is no real competition , Compass and Big Lemon have picked up the routes that attract a council subsidy to keep them running or else they would disappear altogether as uneconomically viable.

 

[GreersElbow]

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/fuel-price-archive.html

Well considering fuel prices have been increasing since 2000, there's no surprise. I wonder if these increases have to do with foreign intervention in middle-eastern states....

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

If you don't like the prices just use the other bus company.
At least taxpayers money isn't being used to increase the city's dependence on busses.

You mention 'the other bus company', well there is very little alternative, apart from up and down the Lewes Road to the Uni (Big Lemon), the London Road as far as Patcham (Stagecoach, Sussex Bus and MetroBus), along the Western Road (Stagecoach), and a few odd services operated by Compass, Brighton & Hove Buses hold the absolute monopoly. I also know that Stagecoach (within the city boundary) are even more expensive.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

You mention 'the other bus company', well there is very little alternative, apart from up and down the Lewes Road to the Uni (Big Lemon), the London Road as far as Patcham (Stagecoach, Sussex Bus and MetroBus), along the Western Road (Stagecoach), and a few odd services operated by Compass, Brighton & Hove Buses hold the absolute monopoly. I also know that Stagecoach (within the city boundary) are even more expensive.

Sarcasm is hard to convey over the internet. I absolutely hate the bus system in this city.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Given that new Euro 6 engine legislation will be kicking in next year and companies will be required to upgrade all of its buses with brand new models over the coming couple of years, I doubt it.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Until the price of diesel goes down - no.

Oh - and is £3.90 for unlimited travel across all the companies services (including to Tunbridge Wells, Steyning and Eastbourne) really that bad ?

£3.90 is The Key and Smartphone app price too.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Until the price of diesel goes down - no.

Oh - and is £3.90 for unlimited travel across all the companies services (including to Tunbridge Wells, Steyning and Eastbourne) really that bad ?

.

No it's really good if you want to travel that distance.
But if like most people just want to a single destination and home again from a suburb to town and back
It's expensive.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

We need an integrated transport network for the city, where you can buy one ticket for bus and train.

Having seen Southern and B&H buses are both part of the Go Ahead group, surely this wouldn't be too hard to implement.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

We need an integrated transport network for the city, where you can buy one ticket for bus and train.

Having seen Southern and B&H buses are both part of the Go Ahead group, surely this wouldn't be too hard to implement.

It kind of exists now with PlusBus which you just add on to your train ticket when you buy it. Could be wrong, but i think for the Brighton PlusBus, if you have The Key smartcard it gets uploaded onto that, so you can use your Southern Rail Key Card on the Brighton buses (Metrobus too).

Should Go Ahead lose the Southern rail franchise, then there is no chance of integration.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

It kind of exists now with PlusBus which you just add on to your train ticket when you buy it. Could be wrong, but i think for the Brighton PlusBus, if you have The Key smartcard it gets uploaded onto that, so you can use your Southern Rail Key Card on the Brighton buses (Metrobus too).

Should Go Ahead lose the Southern rail franchise, then there is no chance of integration.

I know you can get plus bus on individual train tickets but can you add it in to the price of weekly/monthly/yearly tickets?

Integrated tickets exist in London, where there are several different train and bus operators.

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

In an interesting experiment here in Bristol, FirstBus have just reduced their fares for a trial period to see if it boosts traveller numbers.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I am pro bus in theory, but just find them generally inconvenient. The number 19 stops at the end of my road (which is good), so I have looked at a couple of uses.

1 Heading into Brighton on a night out - result the last bus leaves at 5:15. One an hour later and I could just about make this work.

2 Using a roaming ticket to make it affordable. - result you can't buy a ticket that covers the 19 and the 700 (the direct-ish route along the coast from Shoreham in both directions) For Brighton you can get the 2 which for those of you of a puerile nature lives up to it's toilet moniker. It would be quicker to walk into Brighton.

Another thing why do no buses run along the seafront at Hove ? I understand the link between shoppers and Western Road, but no buses at all ?

 

[Notters]

Until the price of diesel goes down - no.

Oh - and is £3.90 for unlimited travel across all the companies services (including to Tunbridge Wells, Steyning and Eastbourne) really that bad ?
£3.90 is The Key and Smartphone app price too.

Which much give value for money to about 0.1% of customers.

 

[keaton]

Until the price of diesel goes down - no.

Oh - and is £3.90 for unlimited travel across all the companies services (including to Tunbridge Wells, Steyning and Eastbourne) really that bad ?

£3.90 is The Key and Smartphone app price too.

But that's the point. Most people only want to go into Brighton and out again. A return from Preston Park/Hollingbury/Moulsecomb/University shouldn't be £4. We're subsidisinng to an insane extent people who are paying the same amount to get to Eastbourne and back