Thousands of students sign petition over route changes

More than 2,100 students have signed a petition claiming they are being ‘ripped off’ and that the re-routing of buses will cause ‘havoc’. A single journey on First Busoperated U1, which serves the University of Bath, has increased from £1.50 to £2.50, but students and staff with a valid photo ID can claim 30 per cent off or invest in a bundle of tickets. The petition started by Ezgi Aksakal, argues the re-routing will cause “havoc” and be especially problematic for disabled students. Since September 1, the U1 no longer stops at Bath Abbey or nearby roads including Dorchester Street and North Parade Road; instead it drops off and picks up passengers on the other side of the city centre at Corn Street. The petition claims First Bus is taking advantage of the situation by increasing prices for students who have no choice and that it has out up fares but is offering a reduced service. The diversion of the route from the city centre, the petition adds, will mean “many students won’t be able to attend lectures”. “Reduced capacity is, especially, a challenge for the mobility of disabled students/persons, considering how Bath is already quite an inaccessible city for students with mobility issues. “Removing bus stops closer to the city centre is detrimental for disabled students who live on campus.” It concludes: “We are left with two options: either walk or to be ripped off. But with your signature, we will have the power to change this. “We are already ripped by the university, government and let us not be ripped by the bus company. “University students make up a large sum of Bath, therefore authorities should not neglect the impact of their decisions on us - we are also consumers!” First Bus said in a statement: “As a commercial bus operator, it is imperative that all our bus services, including those to the University of Bath, are commercially viable, earning more money than they cost to operate. “As such the services to the university are not financially supported by the university or local authority; therefore they are entirely funded by the fares charged to our customers. “In light of ever-rising operating costs we have had to review the fares we charge to ensure these services remain sustainable. “Although fares have increased, we have concentrated on finding ways for students to access the best value fares for the Bath Uni bus services, and we have even given staff access to the full range of student fares, which is a unique arrangement for the universities that we serve in Bath. “So while an academic year ticket has increased by £20 to £299, this is a modest increase of 55p per week across the 36-week period of the academic year (until June 1 2019). “In return, students and staff get unlimited access to a 24/7 high-spec bus service for as little as £1.66 per day.”