Free buses delayed by fuel costs
On the Isle of Wight, our local bus company is complaining that its free-bus-ride project is threatened by rising fuel prices.
A 35% rise in a year, in fact.
(County Press 14/3/08)
They’re not alone. In the last three months at least four other bus companies have said the same.
East Yorkshire Motor Services has blamed the increases in fuel prices after announcing that ticket costs must rise. This had been delayed for as long as possible in the hope that the fuel price might start to drop back, but instead the cost of fuel has continued to rise and has only this week reached a record high. [more]
Bus passengers face service cuts and higher fares because the Welsh Assembly Government is adding 10% to fuel bills. Two Pembrokeshire services have already been axed while fares in North-East Wales have twice increased by 8% in three months. [more]
Translink has blamed fare rises on buses and trains in Northern Ireland of up to 5% on increased fuel costs. [more]
Eastbourne Buses Ltd says the fare increase - the first since 2005 - is due to rapidly rising fuel costs. Managing director Steve Barnett said, “Everyone who uses cars will be aware how much the price of fuel has increased recently. The current cost of fuel for our buses represents a 46 per cent increase on what we paid in November 2005 - the last time we revised our fares.” [more]
Free buses
Switching from car to bus travel is good for congestion, health, oil reserves, social interaction, community responsibility… and probably more that I haven’t thought of in while writing this sentence.
Free bus travel (or very low cost) is the way to do it.
It seems to work well in Europe.
But fuel price rises spoil bus company’s chances of subsidising the rest of their operations. So rising oil prices depress their enthusiasm to provide free buses to attract car-drivers.
This is not a scare: Budget airline Easyjet has also warned that the “significantly” higher cost of aviation fuel will cut its profits for the second half of its financial year.
Loading ...