Bus fare “temporarily” reduced to help students get to college

1,500 people signed a petition

A bus company has reduced its fare for students travelling to a North Devon school after 1,500 people signed a petition.

Young people travelling on the 155 route between Barnstaple and South Molton Community College were facing a 138 per cent increase on their return fare, from £2.10 to £5 a day.

But after a furore on social media, and a petition started by North Devon Liberal Democrat MP Ian Roome which gathered 1,000 signatures in the first 48 hours, Stagecoach has reduced the fee to £3.20 return.

The company said it had taken on board customer and stakeholder feedback and “temporarily adjusted” the fare.

Ian Roome said the government’s decision to raise the single fare bus cap from £2 to £3 at of the start of this year prompted unwelcome increases across North Devon.

The petition called for a halt on further increases and for public transport to be affordable.

Mr Roome said Stagecoach had now recognised the potential impact a £5 a day fare could have on educational opportunities.

“Although £3.20 is still a significant rise, this is nonetheless a win for the people of North Devon, especially for the families with children attending South Molton Community College,” he said.

“It is refreshing to know that Stagecoach is listening to our collective voice. They have shown that fairness and community concerns cannot be ignored. Of course, there is still more to be done, but this is very welcome for passengers.

“I want to say a big thank you to everyone who signed the petition and shared their stories. The campaign doesn’t stop here. I will continue to fight for affordable, reliable, and accessible public transport for our community, something much needed in our rural constituency.”

Devon County and North Devon councillor Frank Biederman (Ind, Fremington) said a sustainable and attractive public transport system is “crucial” and price increases are “a step in the wrong direction”.

Although the 155 is a commercial service and not subsidised by the county council, many other services are, and Mr Biederman has asked for public transport to be discussed at the county council’s cabinet meeting next month.

He said he is concerned that many return journeys have increased from £4 to £5.50 which is “a burden” on local residents. In feedback to his Facebook post on the issue one person said £3 for a single journey is the maximum bus companies can charge but they don’t have to.

Cllr Biederman said that the £1.5 million being spent by the Conservative-led county council on bus lanes in Barnstaple to improve reliability and speed up journey times would be better spent on making travel more affordable.

The previous Conservative government introduced a £2 bus fare in January 2023 to help with the cost of living crisis and was intended to encourage people to use public transport especially after the covid pandemic.

The cap was extended but ended on New Year’s Eve.  The new £3 cap will run until the end of this year.

Devon County Council deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport Cllr Andrea Davis (Con, Combe Martin Rural) said: “It’s disappointing that government chose to increase the bus fare cap at a time when we’re looking to encourage more people to use public transport, but the cap does still mean that many journeys remain better value than they were five years ago, although we appreciate this unfortunately won’t benefit everyone.

“Devon County Council already invests £13.5 million to subsidise local bus routes which operators won’t provide commercially, which is particularly important in rural areas of the county.

“We understand that rising costs are still very much an issue for everyone so we are providing support when we can, such as this month’s promotion of single bus journeys in Devon for £1 on Saturdays in January.

“Where commercial services (that we don’t subsidise) have increased fares, it is the bus operator that determines the route, timetable, and fares. The county council has no external control of these services or their fares.”

Cllr Paul Crabb (Con, Ilfracombe), who is a Devon County and North Devon councillor said that the £1.5 million being spent in Barnstaple is a government grant specifically for improving bus times and services which can’t be used to subsidise fares.

Stagecoach said it has increased some single fares across its south west network because of the cap rising, but new ‘flexi tickets’ provide discounts of up to 30 per cent on day tickets.

“We also offer a range of day and longer period tickets for our different fare zones. For those travelling for education, customers can purchase Term Rider tickets for school or college,” said a spokesperson. “Our drivers are always able to advise customers on the best value fare for their journey.”

The reduced fare on the 155 route is expected to remain in place until the end of the academic year in July.