Introduction
Essex County Council financially supports certain bus links running within Essex. We have not increased our fares for the last 6 years; however we can no longer keep these fares the same.
Although passenger transport makes a strong contribution to the priorities that underpin Essex County Council’s Business Plan, a key challenge in recent years has been how the service can continue to achieve these priorities in the face of growing pressures on local authority spending. This review is therefore being undertaken to help support local bus services.
As part of this consultation, we would like to better understand what the impact of a planned increase of bus fares may have on bus users who pay a fare to travel aboard our bus services.
It is not a detailed consultation on particular routes, timetables and destinations. This also does not affect services operated commercially or where the operator sets the fares. If your service is listed below but later becomes a service where the operator sets the fares, your fare might be changed outside of the control of Essex County Council.
The full list of services this affects can be found here - www.essex.gov.uk/busfares/
The increase will affect the following ticket types:
- Adult Single and Return
- Child Single and Return
- Day Villager
- 10/20 Journey Villager Carnet tickets
There will be no change to the Older or Disabled Persons (English National Concessionary) Bus Passes.
The proposal is that fares would rise by approximately 5% (rounded up to the nearest 10 pence) year-on-year for three years. For instance a £2 fare will increase to £2.10 in September 2016, £2.20 in 2017 and £2.30 in 2018. This will not affect those using the English National Concessionary Bus Pass. From 1 April 2019 onwards prices will increase in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), which is set by the Government. You can find out more about RPI in the FAQ’s here
|
The dates for the increases are planned to be:
|
The increase will be approximately :
|
Example on £2 ticket
|
|
5 September 2016
|
+ 5%
|
£2.10
|
|
1 April 2017
|
+ 5%
|
£2.20
|
|
1 April 2018
|
+ 5%
|
£2.30
|
|
1 April 2019
|
+ RPI
|
|
We are keen to hear the views of residents, stakeholders and other interested parties.
The survey is voluntary and anonymous. The results will be used to inform the decision by the Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Delivery. A decision is due to be made by the end of August 2016.
You may wish to complete this survey over the telephone, or may require it in an alternative format. If so, please call 03457 430 430 to arrange this.
Please respond to the survey by the closing date of Friday 17th June 2016.
You can find further information on this consultation via our FAQ’s here |