Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses ticket costs to hike next month - full list of ticket prices
Bus and tram fares in Edinburgh to increase next month
Edinburgh residents will need to spend more money on the city’s buses and trams from next month as fare increases come into effect.
From February 22, the cost of tickets will increase on both Edinburgh Trams and Lothian Buses as well as Lothian Country and East Coast Buses.
Most tram fares have increased by almost 10 per cent, with an adult single having jumped from £2.20 to £2.40. An adult return will now cost £4.60 instead of £4.20 and the price of an adult day ticket has jumped from £5.50 to £6.
On Lothian Buses, single adult fares will increase by 20p to £2.40 and adult DAYtickets will rise by 50p to £6. Single child tickets will rise from £1.10 to £1.20, child DAYtickets by 25p to £3, and family Daytickets will increase by £1 to £13. All airport fares will remain unchanged.
Sarah Boyd, chief executive of Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, said the new bus fares are a result of various improvements across the network which she said will allow the company to ‘respond to customer demand while enhancing the reliability of our services’.
Notable Lothian Buses service improvements include: new local links in Midlothian for Bonnyrigg, Hopefield, Cockpen, Brixwold and Dalkeith, new links between Shandon, Slateford, Chesser and Edinburgh Park, Gyle Centre, a direct link between Rosewell and Edinburgh city centre, all day, seven days a week. West Craigs will also be added to the bus network when infrastructure becomes available.
She said: “These changes reflect our ongoing investment in the network and our focus on providing safe, dependable and accessible transport for customers. By strengthening service reliability and capacity where it is needed most, we aim to support everyday travel, reduce congestion and play our part in supporting a more sustainable public transport network for Edinburgh.”
She added: “Since our last fares review, we have experienced significant cost increases across all areas of our businesses. Despite taking steps to mitigate these pressures and absorb some of the impact, rising costs continue to affect our operations.
“With all fare revenue going directly back into the running of a comprehensive public transport network, our decision to increase fares at this time will allow us to continue to prioritise investment in our fleet, our premises, our people and our customer offering.
“These measures are essential to protect the long-term viability of our operations and sustain the breadth of services our customers rely on. While no fare increase is ever welcome and we are aware of the cost pressures faced by our customers, our fares continue to represent excellent value for money.”
Speaking on the fare increases, Sarah Singh, head of service delivery at Edinburgh Trams, said: “These fare rises represent an increase in our operating costs, and allow us to meet our commitments to providing cost-effective and environmentally friendly travel across the city.
“Although we understand that fare increases are never ideal, investment in our infrastructure, colleagues and fleet of trams will ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of the city.”
Lothian Buses ticket prices from February 22
• Single tickets: £2.20 for adults and £1.10 for children.
• Daytickets: £6 for adults, £3 for children, £13 for families.
• TapTapCap: Contactless payments are capped at £5.70 daily and at £26.50 weekly.
• Network passes: £14 for adults, £7 for children.
• Ridacard 1 week: £26.50 for adults, £23 for students, and £13.25 for children.
• Ridacard 4 week: £80 for adults, £68 for students, and £40 for children.
• Ridacard unlimited travel (direct debit): £74 for adults, £58 for students, and £37 for children.
• Ridacard unlimited travel (advance payment): £760 for adults, £660 for students, and £380 for children.
Edinburgh Trams ticket prices from February 22
• Single: £2.40 for adults, £1.20 for children.
• Return: £4.60 for adults, £2.30 for children.
• Day tickets: £6 for adults, £5.50 for adult late tickets, and £3 for children.
• Family tickets: £13 for day tickets, £10.50 for family day tripper tickets.
• Airport Zones: £14 for adult network tickets and £7 for child network tickets.
• Caps: £5.70 for adults, £5.50 for adult late tickets, £26.50 for adult weekly ticket and £14 for network daily tickets.
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, transport and environment convener, said: “It’s no accident that Edinburgh has a first-rate public transport network. This is credit to our multi-award-winning operators and the infrastructure which keeps the Capital moving every day.
“I appreciate that fare increases may be a concern, but these reflect increased operating costs and ensure that these vital services are maintained and improved. Our city is unique in the sense that both Lothian and Edinburgh Trams are publicly owned, meaning that every penny collected in fares is reinvested here in the Capital.
“The service changes on the Lothian network will increase reliability and connectivity between Edinburgh and the wider region – which is essential as we deal with the challenges of our growing city.”
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