Bristol Bus Fares Consultation

[whole diary]

[Scott]

For anyone interested, the online form is now available:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/fareconsultation

I will not be completing this survey until I have met with the company. If that means taking advantage of the following then so be it, but I'd like to think it won't be necessary (I'll probably attend at least one anyway).

We [First] are organising a series of events in Bristol where you will have the opportunity to take to us directly, pick up information about buses, and get a copy of the consultation questionnaire. The majority of these events will take place over the week of 22 April 2013 at locations throughout Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Some events will also be held at Bristol Bus Station. So far the following dates and venues have been confirmed - with more to follow:

*** Monday 22 April: Clifton Downs Shopping Centre, from 9am until 5pm

*** Wednesday 24 April: The Galleries Shopping Centre (near the post office), Bristol, from 9am until 5.30pm

*** Wednesday 24 April: Bristol Bus Station - Travel Shop, Marlborough Street, Bristol, from 11am until 4pm

*** Thursday 25 April: Willow Brook Shopping Centre, Bradley Stoke, from 11am until 7pm

*** Thursday 25 April: Bristol Bus Station - Travel Shop, Marlborough Street, Bristol, from 8am until 11am and 4pm until 7pm

*** Friday 26 April: Kings Chase Shopping Centre, Kingswood, from 9am until 5pm

*** Friday 26 April: Bristol Bus Station - Travel Shop, Marlborough Street, Bristol, from 10am until 12.30pm

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/bristol_bath/travel_news/news_initiatives/?item=9671&conf=0

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.

That strikes me as a fairly selective set of locations, so far at least - either in central Bristol or north/east of Bristol?  Nothing particularly convenient for anyone in Withywood or Whitchurch, for example? 

[trainer]

Since the survey is supposed to cover Greater Bristol (I take that to mean CUBA^▸ (Counties that Used to Be Avon) - Counties that Used to Be Avon) there's not much 'Greater' about the list.  I've filled my comments anyway.

[Scott]

To my knowledge, Greater Bristol in this sense is defined as the urban area plus extensions along First routes to wherever else, e.g. along the A4 to Bath and the A369 to Portishead. I may be wrong though.

[Scott]

A new event has been planned for the Broadwalk in Knowle from 0900 to 1730 on Tuesday 23rd. That means there will now be at least eight public sessions.

[swrural]

To my knowledge, Greater Bristol in this sense is defined as the urban area plus extensions along First routes to wherever else, e.g. along the A4 to Bath and the A369 to Portishead. I may be wrong though.

It says at the front of the consultation in bold type:

"Please remember, these questions are about First's bus service in the Greater Bristol travel to work area - buses that we run in Bristol, and to and from Bristol bus station."

That seems quite clear.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Youths lobby for cheaper bus fares in Bristol


Young people in Bristol say fares charged by First Bus are too high

Young people in Bristol are lobbying First Bus to reduce the price of travel for them in the city. A protest group has designed a poster to be displayed prominently in the city calling on the company to take action.

Protester Emily Broadhurst, 17, said: "We decided to take action because we feel the prices are too expensive for students."

First Bus welcomed the group's involvement and is running a public consultation into the issue.

The group of young people is being supported by the Fixers charity which helps 16-25-year-olds tackle issues which affect them. It has negotiated the free use of a central Bristol advertising site for two weeks.

A specially designed advert will be displayed on the bus shelter outside Superdrug on Broadmead East from 7 May. It takes the form of an open letter asking First Bus to consider reducing bus fares for young people in the city.

Ms Broadhurst said: "We live in areas on the outskirts of Bristol and some young people come from low income families. We rely on buses to get to shops, college, school, youth clubs and other services. We want bus companies to understand that prices are just too expensive and that many young people can't afford to pay season ticket fares upfront."

A First Bus spokeswoman said: "We welcome the fact that young people in Bristol are adding their voices to the debate around the cost of travel and the associated value for money that bus travel offers."

She said the company is running a consultation on the issue at its website, and asked that young people in the city fill out a questionnaire in order to have their say on the matter.

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

First in Bristol reinstate 'popular' bus fare

A Bristol bus company has reinstated a popular bus ticket following widespread requests from the public.

First Bus said it had brought back the 'three stop hop' bus ticket after receiving feedback from a number of fare consultation road-show events held in April.

The fare enables passengers to travel for a distance of up to three stops within Bristol's zones 1 and 2 for ^1.

It was originally abolished last year after some passengers abused it.

First said it had encountered "serious problems with people travelling fraudulently" by staying on the bus for more than three stops.

But a spokesman said that people were "really keen" to see it restored, and it had been reinstated as a temporary measure until it knows the outcome of a public consultation into the fare prices.

Passengers have until 29 June to complete a questionnaire on the First website in order to have their say on the issue.

I had some correspondence with First Bristol when the 'three stop hop' was withdrawn last year. As this story says, that decision was down to people abusing the fare. I pointed out that it was somewhat unfair to punish the majority for the actions of a minority.

Sadly for First, one of my regular journeys, Lawrence Weston-Shirehampton, has competition. Wessex Connect only charge ^1.50 return following a timetable and fares restructure last year. And that fare isn't limited to three stops. Prior to that, I happily walked to the correct stop to take advantage of a 'three stop hop' fare with First.

So, while it's good news that First have re-introduced the 'three stop hop', in my area things have moved on. More and more people are choosing Wessex Connect 501/502 over First 40 for journeys between Lawrence Weston and Shirehampton.

Although the true cost is somewhat muddied by the Wessex Connect services being subsidised all day, every day. With the First service seeing council support on just a couple of late evening services, Mon-Sat.

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Bristol bus fares reviewed after campaign started by Daniel Farr

Bristol's biggest bus operator is to cut some of its fares in the city following a protest started by one man.

Graphic designer Daniel Farr, 33, said the fares were "too high" and the service "pretty second-rate".

He organised an e-petition calling for cheaper fares. As a result First Bus asked the public what they thought and 71% said fares were "very expensive".

Mr Farr said he wanted to ensure First "don't rest on their laurels" following the fare review.

From 3 November, children aged between five and 16 will get half-price fares on all single tickets within the inner zone.

Those aged between 16 and 21 will get a 30% discount on all single tickets within the inner zone - whether or not they are students.

There will also be cheaper prices for people travelling shorter distances, allowing passengers to travel for up to three miles for ^1.50.

First has also reviewed its fare zones.

The three existing zones will be replaced by an inner (up to six miles from the city centre) and outer zone (six to 12 miles).

First said the new fare structure offered "greater transparency" for its customers.

"The cost of the journey is based solely on the distance covered [based on the route the bus takes]," Paul Matthews, managing director of First West of England, said.

"I am delighted... 90% of our customers will pay an average 27% less for single fares than they currently do."

'Not rocket science'

Mr Farr said the move was "definitely a step in the right direction".

"They've promised things like smartcards before and not delivered them so now they've announced it, we can hold them to their words," he said.

"It's not rocket science - if you have lower fares more people will use the bus."

Mr Farr's petition was signed by city mayor George Ferguson.

Mr Ferguson said: "The outcome is brilliant for children, for school children in particular, who I hope will get out of their parents' cars on to the buses and help free up our roads which are further congested by trips to school."

The Make Fares Fair campaign was supported by Bristol West MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Stephen Williams and Charlotte Leslie, Bristol North West's MP.

The campaign was also one of Labour's Bristol-wide pledges in the May 2013 local election campaign, launched by Shadow Transport Minister Maria Eagle.

[JayMac]

Further to the news item in the previous post, here's First in Bristol, Bath and the West's announcement:

Fare consultation: the results are in - changes due from 3 November

Following three months of public consultation, which saw more than 7,500 questionnaires returned to the company, First West of England can now reveal the outcome of the 'Fare Hearing for Bristol' and confirm that bus fares in the city are set to change from 3 November.

The changes are radical with most adults, children and young people set to pay less for single fares compared to what they pay now.

People travelling the shortest distances will benefit substantially as the 'Three Stop Hop' is being retained on a permanent basis, while shorter distance fares - which will apply from wherever you board within a newly created inner zone - will allow people to travel up to three miles for just ^1.50 (adults).

The cost of travel for children (up to the age of 16) and young people (up to the age of 21) will also be significantly reduced. Children aged between five and 15 years will benefit from 50% discounts on all single tickets within the inner zone, and 50% discounts on all period products in the inner and outer zones. This makes the cheapest fare for them - the 'Three Stop Hop' at just 50p.

Young people (those between 16 and 21 years old) in possession of a valid ID card will get a 30% discount on all singles within the inner zone and a 30% discount on all period products in the inner and outer zone. This marks a significant improvement as there is no discount at present)

Up to two children under the age of five will still be able to travel for free with a fare paying young person or adult.

Talking about the changes, Paul Matthews, Managing Director of First West of England, says: "During the summer our transport consultants MVA have been analysing all the data that was collected as part of the fare consultation and they have been modelling a number of different outcomes for us. I am delighted with the final solution and am personally thrilled to know that 90% of our customers will pay an average 27% less for single fares than they currently do.

"Our new fare structure offers greater transparency for our customers. The cost of the journey is based solely on the distance covered. Children and young people benefit from significantly reduced travel costs, and the anomalies with some parts of outer Bristol being, perhaps unfairly categorised as Zone 3 to date, will be removed. This makes the structure fairer.

"The fares will change from 3 November. Between now and then we'll be running a series of customer and staff facing engagement sessions to walk people through the changes we're making. We want everyone to know what is happening and what the new fares for individual journeys will be. Improving the communication around the different fares available is a key task for us and it is something we are embracing - where possible we'll place information in bus stops, on the buses, in a booklet for customers and on our website."

Underpinning the changes is a structural change to the way that the zones in and around Bristol are organised, and the way that fares are calculated.

The current zone 1, 2, 3 zone arrangement is being abolished in favour of a bigger, fairer and more uniformly shaped 'inner' zone and a new 'outer' zone. The inner zone will extend six miles from the city centre in all directions: this change will help resolve many of the issues that have arisen previously with people living in areas seemingly close to the city centre - for instance Pill - having to pay more than others. The outer zone will apply to the areas between six and 12 miles from the city centre in all directions.

From 3 November all fares within the inner zone will be charged based solely on the distance travelled from the boarding point. There will be four different single fares within the inner zone:

*** The three stop hop - which was reintroduced in May 2013 when initial feedback from the fare consultation events was considered - allowing people to travel up to three stops for just ^1 (50p children, 70p young people).

*** A single ticket covering travel up to three miles from the boarding point for ^1.50 (75p children, ^1.05 young people),

*** A single ticket covering travel up to six miles from the boarding point for ^2.50 (^1.25 children, ^1.75 young people),

*** A single ticket covering travel beyond six miles from the boarding point, where the route remains within the inner zone boundary, at ^3.50 (^1.75 children, ^2.45 young people)

Customers will no longer be able to buy return tickets if they are only travelling in the inner zone. Instead those people who previously bought returns will be able to buy lower priced single tickets, or a day ticket if they wish to make more than one journey.

A number of different period products, including day, week, month and annual tickets will continue to be available.

Single and return fares for journeys that cross between the inner and outer zones will not be affected by the changes (so the cost of single and return fares on, for example, the X39, X42, 319, 342 will remain as they are. Period tickets covering both the inner and outer zone will be available though and they will offer bus users travelling to and from Bristol (from outlying towns and villages and from parts of Bath) significant savings. This means that some commuters, including those travelling from Bath city centre to Bristol, will be able to buy cheaper weekly and monthly tickets than they do at present.

George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol said: "This is the welcome result of a long and hard negotiations reinforced by a relentless campaign by citizen Daniel Farr. I particularly welcome the young people's concessions. Most Bristol people will win and a simpler fare structure, with savings for weekly tickets, will help commuters, visitors and those making trips for leisure get the best out of Bristol by bus. I'm pleased to see many reductions in costs which will hopefully encourage more people to use buses for day to day journeys, and I continue to press home the need for good value, high quality and affordable bus services with all providers."

Cllr Mark Bradshaw, Assistant Mayor for Transport said: "Thousands of young people, especially those travelling for training, will benefit from the age limit being raised to 21 years old for fare reductions, so this in particular is a welcome move. So too is the overall simplification of the fare structure.

"I'm also pleased to see a significant reduction in travel costs for children and young people aged under 16.

"I welcome the new structure and will continue to work with the Mayor and First Group to help deliver the public transport system the city deserves. I am encouraging moves towards the introduction of smart ticketing in Bristol and await with eager interest a detailed timetable for its phased introduction."

Councillor Brian Allinson, Chair of the West of England Joint Transport Executive Committee said: "The West of England are grateful to First for listening to passengers, and for the changes they are making. Across the West of England we are working with all bus operators to get the best deal possible for passengers - and the more people who use the buses the less cars there are on the roads - but we all have to be mindful of the need for bus companies to make money be able invest in better buses for the future.

"I look forward to the outcomes of the similar reviews in the reminder of the West of England. Once the changes bed in they should be easier for people to understand and I hope this simplification brings the introduction of a West of England smartcard closer."

[JayMac]

The new "Fairer Fares" in Greater Bristol have gone live and First Bus have produced a separate website explaining the changes:

http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/fairerfares/index.html

[BristolBusDanny]

The fare changes are great for children, young people and students. Not so good for adults who now have to get either two singles for ^1.50 (when before a return cost ^2.90) or a day rider for ^4.00. It also seems to depend on the driver how far the 3 mile radius is, but hopefully this is just teething problems, and they will sort themselves out in time.

[grahame]

The fare changes are great for children, young people and students. Not so good for adults who now have to get either two singles for ^1.50 (when before a return cost ^2.90) or a day rider for ^4.00. It also seems to depend on the driver how far the 3 mile radius is, but hopefully this is just teething problems, and they will sort themselves out in time.

How much is this a major restructure in your view, and how much could be styled an adjustment around the edges?  Does it have any / much effect on journeys over 3 miles?     I'm making an educated guess that it's you featured in this article:

http://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/news/daniel_battling_for_a_better_bus_deal_1_2883004

Taking the "6 pounds return / 22 pounds for a First week card" quoted in the article, has that altered for example?  Are there any other public transport operators on the same corridor / what would you pay with them?  (And how easy is it to find those prices)?

I have trouble understanding train fares at times ... and bus fares are quite something else!  We have an overseas visitor on a course with us this week - staying at a hotel near Temple Meads and commuting to Melksham by bus each day.  He's got a travel card in the shape of a train ticket to get him from Bristol to Bath and another week's season ticket with places stopped not named and tells me the total is about 70 pounds.  I can't work it all out or tell is he's got the best deal.  His English is good, he's a seasoned bus user in his one country, but even he has had issues ...
* He got onto the Bath bus from outside our place and was told to get off and catch "the other company's bus" because his ticket wasn't valid
* He needed re-assurance that he was at the correct bus stop, as it didn't have any service details up and appeared to be only served by "Badgerline" and "Travelline".
* He grabbed a cup of coffee early in the morning to take with him on the bus, and was told he couldn't bring it on ...

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Bristol Post:

First consult Bristol bus passengers on changes to fares



Bus company First is calling on passengers to give their views on the recent bus fare changes in Bristol, which were introduced after extensive public consultation last year.

The firm has launched an online survey, found at www.firstgroup.com/bristolfaressurvey, and is asking all bus users in Bristol to take part in it.

The changes in fares came after a public campaign against expensive fares was launched and led by passenger Daniel Farr.

The firm wants views on the consultation process, the changes implemented as a result, and the way the changes were communicated.

The survey will take around five minutes to complete, and all those filling it in will be entered into a prize draw to win a month^s worth of bus travel in Bristol^s Inner and Outer zones, worth ^80.

Paul Matthews, managing director for First in West of England says: ^Last year we undertook a huge consultation with residents in the city. It was designed to help us understand more about how people used the buses in the area and find out what they thought about the fares charged.

^We distributed 5,000 paper questionnaires and had more than 6,500 responses to our online survey too. In addition we held 14 public road shows over a period of 12 weeks, with bespoke events set up for councillors and the region^s MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament). An independent transport consultancy then analysed all the results for us, working with us to then create a new fare structure for the city. The latter was introduced in the autumn following a month^s worth of marketing activities, which included six more customer road shows and an extensive advertising campaign.

^What we want to do now is understand more about the impact that those things had. For instance did we target the right places with the right messages, were residents aware of the consultation and the changes to bus fares made as a result? We want to learn from this exercise and, if necessary, improve for the future. We sincerely hope that people will spare five minutes out of their busy schedules to complete the questionnaire for us, telling us honestly what they thought about it all.^

The questionnaire will be open from 10 January until the 28 February. It can be found at www.firstgroup.com/bristolfaressurvey