Stagecoach West Scotland has confirmed changes to bus fares from Sunday 8 th May 2022 amid rising petrol prices across the UK.
The travel company state that the new increases reflect the rising costs of running services - since 2019, costs across the bus industry have risen by around 12%, mainly driven by fuel and staff wage increases.
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The fare change taking place on 8 May affects the majority of tickets across Ayrshire, Cumbernauld, Glasgow and Dumfries and Galloway, representing an average of 4.8% increase on single and multi-journey tickets.
For example, a ticket purchased today (Monday 25 April) from Glasgow to Ayr costs £7, but on Monday 9 May it will cost £7.30.
In a statement, Stagecoach added: "Almost all the money received in fares goes towards paying for the day-to-day running of services as well as investing in improvements. The amount of revenue bus operators receives from fares to keep services running remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels as people gradually return to public transport."
Fiona Doherty, Managing Director for Stagecoach West Scotland said: “Stagecoach has 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 as the economy tries to recover.
“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 revenue 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.”
