Fare Changes 2025

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With the changes to the Bus Fare Cap taking effect on New Years Day, bus operators in the south have taken the opportunity to review their bus fares overall and make some changes to they way that they offer a service. The sceptical side of me has concerns that there might be an ulterior motive, however at the same time I have had experience of the same on the railways, so I would do.

For those that are wondering about the bus fare cap, from New Years Day the maximum fare on bus operators within the scheme will be £3. There are a few operators that are not taking part or have previously withdrawn such as Xelabus, and there are also some exemptions to individual services like schools, football specials and some express services.

If you have an app based £2 “bus cap” tickets. These may either expire, or will no longer be valid in many cases.

So let’s start with:

Stagecoach South

There are changes affecting both app and paper tickets in addition to the new £3 bus fare cap. Firstly single fares are being revised with a simpler cost structure and single fares will cost £1.50, £2, £2.50 or £3.

The new tickets will be available in the Stagecoach Bus app, however the activation limits have been changed which means they will only be active for 30 minutes. Generally the advice has always been to activate your ticket just before you board the bus, because bus inspectors do still randomly operate.

Child single fares and young persons tickets will only be available as a paper ticket.

Return Tickets will cease to be available and for many this will mean a DayRider will be the most cost-effective option. I have posted in the past about how day tickets are often cheaper than two single tickets.

Stagecoach South have explicitly said that any £2 fare cap tickets still in peoples apps will not be valid from New Years Day.

First Bus

First Solent

First Solent will be changing both the price of single and period tickets from New Years Day and are simplifying the single fares to be £2.10, £2.30, £2.60 or £3.

As a few examples of the changes to day (and longer) tickets:

• A Portsmouth adult day ticket will increase to £5.40
• A Hampshire adult day ticket will increase to £8.50
• A Hampshire adult month ticket will increase to £105

First Wessex

In Weymouth and South Dorset there will be two core fares: £2.40 for up to 3 miles and £3 for more than 3 miles. Child fares will change to become half the adult fare.

Most of the fare zones for day and period tickets will also change. There will now only be a Weymouth and a Network zone ticket available.

Go South Coast

morebus

Fares on the m1 & m2 will change to be £2.50 single & £4.50 “ride all day” – return tickets will not be available.

Single fares will cost £2.20, £2.40, £2.70 or £3.

For those taking trips wholly within Zone A most return tickets will be withdrawn as the £5 DayRider is available. For those taking trips in Zone AB or ABC return tickets will be available and cost a maximum of £6.

Bluestar

Fares within the Southampton zone will cost £2.50 but return tickets are withdrawn. A Dayrider is £4.20 on the app (or the tap on-tap off).

Single fares outside the Southampton zone will cost between £2.40 and £3, with returns available up to a cost of £6.

Southern Vectis

The single fare cap will increase to £3 except in Newport where the local fare will remain £2.

Newbury & District (FlightLine 730/731)

Newbury and District have a revised fare table and have helpfully posted their complete fare-table online for those that are using the service.

For those travelling across the Frimley service boundary, the maximum single fare will be £6 because the 730 and 731 are technically two separately registered services. This has been the case since the start of the £2 bus fare cap being accepted on Flightline.

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My Concerns

Now, I am a paranoid person quite often. Back when train operators withdrew some off-peak rail tickets as a trial I quietly was concerned that this could provide a get-out clause if the last train home is cancelled. A woolly interpretation of section 28.2 of the National Conditions of Carriage could apply if tickets were prevented from being sold for a train that is already decided to be cancelled:

“Where disruption prevents you from completing the journey for which your Ticket is valid and is being used, any Train Company will, where it reasonably can, provide you with alternative means of travel to your destination, or if necessary, provide overnight accommodation for you.”

Indeed, the lack of bus operators available (or prepared) to step in with short notice rail replacement services during disruption regularly means users of rail companies are advised to source their own taxi and claim back the cost.

If the last bus of the night is cancelled, and no-one is able to buy a single ticket for it on the bus, then is there any recompense for the bus operator? Like I said, I can be a paranoid person and I am not suggesting that any bus operator is looking at it this way. The Traffic Commissioner is also a catch net for any unscrupulous operators (and again I am not suggesting any on our patch are) who try to game the system and neglect their operators licence.

I know…. that will probably generate a few complaints through my inbox. I am hoping this does not start a slippery slope of the erosion of rights of bus passengers overall in a legal sense.