BUS FARES SET TO RISE IN TOWNS

HOPPING on board a bus will soon cost a lot more across Nuneaton and Bedworth as fares are being hiked by up to five per cent.

The increase comes into force on Sunday (March 25) as Stagecoach blames the growing cost of traffic congestion across the borough and further afield as well as investment made into businesses in the area for the rise.

Only a matter of weeks ago a fleet of gold buses were launched in Nuneaton, to serve the Coventry-Bedworth-Nuneaton-Hinckley number 48 service.

But it appears to have come at a cost as the price of an Gold Day Rider will rise 4.44 per cent from £9 to £9.40 and a seven day Gold Mega Rider will rise by 5.66 per cent from £26.50 to £28.

A Nuneaton Day Rider Plus, covering the area between Coventry Nuneaton-Leicester and Tamworth, will rise from £6.80 to £7.10, a rise of 4.41 per cent. For the Nuneaton 7 Day Mega Rider Plus will rise 4.59 per cent from £21.80 to £22.80.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach Midland explained the decision behind the rises, saying “Stagecoach Midlands policy is to increase its fare prices once a year in order to cover its increased costs and to continue to invest in improving services for the benefit of its passengers.

“The company has just launched 25 new Gold standard Euro VI emission level buses on its service 48 route between Coventry-Bedworth Nuneaton-HinckleyLeicester at a cost of over £4.4 million.

“In addition in the last six years Stagecoach Midlands has invested over £11 million on new more environmentally friendly buses in Warwickshire/Leicestershire/ the West Midlands and Staffordshire . A similar sum has been spent on more environmentally friendly buses in the Northamptonshire/ Peterborough/Milton Keynes area during the same period.” The spokesperson went on to add: “The company’s fare rises also reflect the growing cost of traffic congestion, which is resulting in additional vehicles and drivers having to be allocated to many of our routes just to preserve the existing timetables and frequencies.”

Stagecoach operates from Nuneaton’s Bus Station and serves communities across the borough as well as further afield.