Bus chiefs go fare way to help families

Published on Wednesday 28 July 2010 19:17

LOTHIAN Buses chiefs have slashed fares for youngsters in a bid to entice more families and students on board.

The reduced fares are set to come into force on August 15, just days before the schools go back after the summer break.

It will come as a relief to many parents who are being forced to buy bus passes for the first time this year after the council changed the rules on who could receive free travel.

Hundreds of youngsters lost their entitlement after the council decided to increase the limit from children living two miles from their local school to three miles.

The new pricing will mean a child day ticket will drop from 2.40 to 2 while all Junior Ridacard prices will also be reduced.

The bus company has also increased its travel discount to reach all students, not just those under the age of 25.

The council-owned firm is desperate to up its passenger numbers in the wake of posting its first ever operating loss last year. It took a 9 million hit due to the impact of the tram works and rising fuel costs.

Managing director Ian Craig said: "We remain fully committed to providing affordable and reliable services for the tens of thousands of daily users.

"These latest changes are our way of making Lothian Buses as accessible as possible, and we hope the reduction in the children's fares will be welcome news to families."

Hundreds of children across the Capital will be forced to pay for their bus travel after the holidays due to the new ruling by council bosses.

It has hit Boroughmuir and Holy Rood high schools particularly hard due to their locations and catchment areas.

Damian Rowell, whose son Max, 14, attends Holy Rood High, was outraged to discover that he will have to spend money he had not budgeted for on a bus pass for his son. He believes the reduced pricing is a step in the right direction, but does not go far enough.

He said: "We don't have a lot of choice in this - we can either pay or let our children walk.

"Although I welcome the reduction, this is still revenue that they are taking in that they didn't receive before so any money is good money for them.

"When you offset the savings we're getting with the money being spent on trams you have to think that it's not going far enough."

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's transport leader, added: "Our award-winning bus service already has a reputation for offering good value for money but this initiative will still come as a welcome boost to many hard-pressed families."