Fare changes in the Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Shropshire Region.
23 May 2023
There will be some fares changes in the Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Shropshire areas from 28th May 2023, when some fares will unfortunately be increased.
Reasons for these changes:
Since the Coronavirus pandemic, the bus industry as a whole has struggled to recover and continues to sustain financial losses across the UK. Many bus routes across the Central-Shire areas are loss making, the decline in viability is linked to rising labour and operating costs and the lack of revenue growth.
We have been working with local authorities since the pandemic to revise services to try and align the income and expenditure of these routes and improve their viability, but, unfortunately in the current economic climate, we have now reluctantly taken the decision to increase our fares.
Diamond fares have remained one of the lowest priced networks in the region for a number of years and we have also kept our Diamond Network tickets and passes frozen in price since 2019. In bordering county areas such as Telford, Shropshire and Stratford, Warwickshire; local and network fares are significantly higher than those on the Diamond Network*. Our new fares structure will bring our ticket prices much more in line with those currently available in the market place.
Diamond will continue to take part in the current Government funded £2 fare cap scheme, with a single journey costing no more than just £2 on most services. However other ticket prices will increase in the following ticketing zones: Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Network Zone A.
We understand that the general cost of living has increased for many people, and in these difficult times, to hear that bus fares in the region will also be increasing is not welcome news. However, it is an unfortunate necessity in order to make our network more viable and reduce the risk of significant service cuts to the bus network in the future.
In addition to Diamond changes there will also be fare increases on Worcestershire Multi-Operator Connecta tickets from the same date.
Councillor Mike Rouse, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire County Council, said: “While a fare increase is always regrettable, and we know how important bus services are to people in Worcestershire, it is a necessary step to account for rising operational expenses faced by operators and some of the fares listed have not increased for a number of years.
Our focus as a County Council remains steadfast on implementing measures that secure and enhance the future of our public transportation services, and keep our towns and villages connected. The establishment of the new statutory-based Enhanced Partnership, coupled with the government’s recent funding for our Bus Service Improvement Plan, demonstrates our commitment to delivering improved quality and efficiency in our bus services for the benefit of our community. Additionally, the integration of new Demand Responsive Transport solutions showcases our readiness to embrace technology and explore innovative solutions. Together, these initiatives form the foundation for a better and more accessible public transportation system in Worcestershire.”
New Diamond and Connecta prices can be found here.
For more information regarding Connecta products please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/transport/bus-travel
*Based on current 2022-2023 fares:
- Adult: Arriva Telford Zone 4-week £77 / Telford & Shropshire Zone 4-week £98.
(Diamond Equivalent Kidderminster Zone Month £45 / Diamond Network Zone A Month £83) - Child: Arriva Telford Zone 4-week £56 / Telford & Shropshire Zone 4-week £84.
(Diamond Equivalent Kidderminster Zone Month £40 / Diamond Network Zone A Month £70) - Adult: Stagecoach Stratford 28-Day Mega Rider £72.20 / Stratford Plus 28-Day Mega Rider £132.90
(Diamond Equivalent Redditch Zone Month £45 / Diamond Network Zone A Month £83) - Child: Stagecoach Stratford 7-Day Mega Rider £14.20 / Stratford Plus 7-Day Mega Rider £35.00
(Diamond Equivalent Redditch Zone Week £13.50 / Diamond Network Zone A Week £21)