Bus Fares

[K853 MTJ]

RE: Bus Fares

(23/02/2013 16:45)V671 DVU Wrote:  

(23/02/2013 15:47)mathias Wrote:  

(23/02/2013 08:30)Raawwwrrr! Wrote:  Liverpool Zone:

£2.10 Adult flat fare
£1.70 Student/16+ (Remains unchanged)
£1.40 Child flat fare

I think I read that the Liverpool Day Ticket is now £4.00? (I may be mistaken)

True!
£4.00 Liverpool-Zone Adult Day Ticket, £3.20 NW-Zone Child Day Ticket.
But nineteen quid for an Adult NW-Weekly Ticket?
This is taking the pi**!!

These prices are getting closer to Black Hackney fares!

Couldn't agree more. Unless they start spreading the fare money more fairly and investing in better buses for more areas (not fancy Hybrids and Gas buses in the Wirral and Runcorn just to make Arriva look good...) people will start taxi sharing and alike to get to work. Luckily I use a Merseytravel Solo so don't get ripped off by these robbing bas***ds but I can see this deterring a lot of people away from the buses. I know it's only 10p but that all adds up, especially after such a large increase (particularly child fares) not even a year ago! Pathetic...

No offence mate but I think theres an element of sour grapes here more than anything, if it was GL getting a number of Gas Buses for 8/9s for example, everything would be all good. You have to remember that barring last year, Green Lane has had significant and continued investment since 2008 when it has been called for, and nothing has yet come out to say that they will not receive new vehicles to replace Marshalls later in the year either.
With regards to fares, its inevitable they are going to rise in the current economic climate, but as long as theres people without their own method of transport that need to get to places, then buses are always going to be there, passengers are at the mercy of companies when it comes to fares. At the end of the day there will be a reason for the fare rises, and someone somewhere in a nice office in a tower block will be taking into consideration the same points raised here with regards to investment, services and value for money. They are a multi-national company, and as much as it may not seem like it, they do have some idea of what they are doing. For example local day tickets have been introduced, it was mentioned a few posts ago about a new one for Winsford for example, so this is where they are starting to try making their money. But if Arriva are having to put prices up like this to account for increasing costs, imagine how bad it is for smaller competitors!
The big question now is, with the mass influx of cheap buses, whether they be ex London or replaced as a result of Green bus funding for example, could we see more operators set up budget routes to compete with Arriva, or even companies set up with a sole purpose to offer a cheaper alternative? The Poundrider in Runcorn for example was a big success, Fairbrothers seem to be doing ok for themselves in Warrington considering they are only really still starting out on their routes, just goes to show there is demand for this sort of thing!

Edit: this isnt aimed at your or meant as a sly dig Luke, just making a point mate!