Bus fares in the West Midlands will rise across the region

Let’s get this straight: we encourage people to use public transport as often as they can. The thing is, it has to be reliable, affordable and accessible to people want to use it. Credit where credit is due, a lot has been done to ensure this is also possible in the West Midlands, but Bus fares will increase at the end of June.

Rates for day and season bus tickets are set to increase by o average of 6% – agreed by all Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) bus operators. The decision was taken to meet the “continuing challenges of rising costs”, but it will not affect single fare prices which are still capped at £2 at least until the end of this year.

Just so you know how much extra money a 6% increase will take out of your wallet: a The Nbus day ticket will rise by 30p to £4.80 and The rate for four weeks ranges from £60 to £64. The West Midlands Combined Authority is quick to point out that these prices still remain lower than equivalent fares in the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester.

But how long can this last? TfWM is already pumping £50m a year on the bus network to support essential services and to avoid more substantial fare increases or service cuts. In the meantime, The number of passengers remains at 90% of the pre-Covid level and steep increases in fuel, maintenance and labor costs will only add to the concern.

Currently, an ongoing review, launched by TfWM last year, is looking at long-term sustainability of bus services – this bus fare increase only ensures that the region’s bus network remains in operation at current levels until we know more. So could we see huge changes soon? The the review will be reported next monthso we won’t have to wait long.

“Despite many challenges, we have worked with bus operators since the pandemic to keep fare increases to an absolute minimum,” said Pete Bond, director of integrated transport services at TfWM. “And even if they are increasing, fares remain great value for many people who rely on buses day in and day out. At the same time, we are working on plans to secure the long-term future of our bus network and will announce the results of the review in the coming weeks.”

232 million bus journeys are made per year in the West Midlands, while tens of thousands rely on the bus for their daily commute to work, school and college, as well as for regular trips to the shops or medical appointments. For more details visit the TfWM website here.