Stagecoach announces bus fares rise of just under 5% for Fife services

Announcing the increase, Stagecoach said it was to cover rising costs of running services.

The fare change will take effect on May 8, and will affect the majority of tickets across Fife, Angus, Dundee, and Perthshire.

Single and multi-journey tickets will go by an average of 4.8%.

Nightrider tickets, valid for unlimited travel after 7pm, are frozen at £3.

All under 19 tickets and weekly child MegaRider tickets will also be withdrawn from May 8 because commuters aged between 5-21 and residents in Scotland, are now eligible for free travel.

Douglas Robertson, managing director for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “We have 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.

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

Since 2019, costs across the bus industry have risen by around 12%, mainly driven by fuel and staff wage increases.

Last year, Stagecoach East Scotland simplified its fares and tickets to make them more consistent and easier to understand.

The new ticket options meant that many single fares reduced in price and it created new multi- journey zones and tickets offering more flexible travel options.

The company said almost all the money received in fares goes towards paying for the day-to-day running of services as well as investing in improvements.

And that amount remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Last year, the operator announced that it was introducing a further 46 new fully electric buses representing an investment of £21.4m as part of its drive to improve air quality and support the Scottish Government’s environmental targets.