Lots of moaning here and there at busstops. Does anyone know what the new fares will be for weeksavers/daysavers for Sheffield. The 3 hop 50p ticket will
dissapear, or thats what the busdriver told me. I can't see anything on their website. I heard it was going to be 15 quid for a weeksaver in Sheffield. Prices have doubled since 2001, dunno why we put up with this ****. Thats life i suppose.

I'm using the supertram now for nearly 1,5 years and its cheaper and more important the timetable actually have times on it when the tram arrives. Hurray! It was only late twice over the last 1.5 years. This is compared to the 41 bus "service" which was probably on time twice in the last 1,5 years </sarcasm> :-)

I have to walk 10 minutes to a tramstop compared to less then a minute for a busstop.

Originally posted by Joffrey
Lots of moaning here and there at busstops. Does anyone know what the new fares will be for weeksavers/daysavers for Sheffield. The 3 hop 50p ticket will
dissapear, or thats what the busdriver told me. I can't see anything on their website. I heard it was going to be 15 quid for a weeksaver in Sheffield. Prices have doubled since 2001, dunno why we put up with this ****. Thats life i suppose.

I'm using the supertram now for nearly 1,5 years and its cheaper and more important the timetable actually have times on it when the tram arrives. Hurray! It was only late twice over the last 1.5 years. This is compared to the 41 bus "service" which was probably on time twice in the last 1,5 years </sarcasm> :-)

I have to walk 10 minutes to a tramstop compared to less then a minute for a busstop.

I am not noted for defending this company but in their defence the tram gets priority at traffic lights and does not have to contend with quite so much in the way of traffic jams etc.

Originally posted by Joffrey
Lots of moaning here and there at busstops. Does anyone know what the new fares will be for weeksavers/daysavers for Sheffield. The 3 hop 50p ticket will
dissapear, or thats what the busdriver told me. I can't see anything on their website. I heard it was going to be 15 quid for a weeksaver in Sheffield. Prices have doubled since 2001, dunno why we put up with this ****. Thats life i suppose.

I'm using the supertram now for nearly 1,5 years and its cheaper and more important the timetable actually have times on it when the tram arrives. Hurray! It was only late twice over the last 1.5 years. This is compared to the 41 bus "service" which was probably on time twice in the last 1,5 years </sarcasm> :-)

I have to walk 10 minutes to a tramstop compared to less then a minute for a busstop.

The new prices were on the front of yesterday's Star. I haven't got it to hand but if I remember rightly then yes, the weekly ticket is going up to £15, the day ticket is going up 50p to £3.50. Most single fares are going up 10p-20p. The month ticket is going up from £45 to £54!!

I used to get the bus, because I had no choice, and used to buy the month ticket. It was £39 when I moved back to Sheffield in September last year, now £54 after three increases in the last 6 months, which is an increase of nearly 40% in 13 months - I don't drive, but has diesal really increased in price by this much?!? I moved a month ago and like you I can get the bus which is a couple of minutes walk away (and same at work's end) and (allegedly every 12 mins) or walk 10 mins to the tram (and another 10 mins walk at the other end) which is every 30 mins. I have chosen the tram. It's now nearly £20 cheaper a month, and is reliable!

First were again blaming fuel prices, insurance and labour costs (surprise surprise!), their Commercial Director had the gall to make the following promise (I'm paraphrasing here, but this is the jist of it):

"that prices will not increase for the whole of next year, as long as economic conditions do not change and there are no further increases in fuel prices"

Well, what a wonderful promise!!! Of course there is no mention of prices coming down if fuel prices drop!

Well, looks like I'm going to learn to drive....

How can they possibly justify an increase of 50% in just 13 months? It's ridiculous. I have to wait for a 76 which may, or may not, turn up and this is the *only* bus available to me without a 20 minute walk down to Woodseats, which has now become an even bigger joke since the "improvements" to the Abbey Lane/Meadowhead junction.

Of course if I learn to drive, I'm stuck paying £60 a month to park next to my office.

When I was in Nottingham, a monthly card (which was renewed automatically) cost just £36, and was valid for buses *and* trams.... Although NCT buses aren't privatised, run properly and don't have miserable or rude bus drivers....

*sigh*

Originally posted by d71146
I am not noted for defending this company but in their defence the tram gets priority at traffic lights and does not have to contend with quite so much in the way of traffic jams etc.

You are right, but what ****** me off is when I sit in bus 41 and we are stuck in a traffic jam because cars are using buslanes!! Surely that cant be right either? I have seen this day in day out and only one day there were coppers standing at the spot actually doing smt about it. This was about 2 years ago. I dont know if things have changed.

They are also talking about it on this thread

4th rise this year (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68032)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by banesmabes
The new prices were on the front of yesterday's Star. I haven't got it to hand but if I remember rightly then yes, the weekly ticket is going up to £15, the day ticket is going up 50p to £3.50. Most single fares are going up 10p-20p. The month ticket is going up from £45 to £54!!

I used to get the bus, because I had no choice, and used to buy the month ticket. It was £39 when I moved back to Sheffield in September last year, now £54 after three increases in the last 6 months, which is an increase of nearly 40% in 13 months - I don't drive, but has diesal really increased in price by this much?!? I moved a month ago and like you I can get the bus which is a couple of minutes walk away (and same at work's end) and (allegedly every 12 mins) or walk 10 mins to the tram (and another 10 mins walk at the other end) which is every 30 mins. I have chosen the tram. It's now nearly £20 cheaper a month, and is reliable!

First were again blaming fuel prices, insurance and labour costs (surprise surprise!), their Commercial Director had the gall to make the following promise (I'm paraphrasing here, but this is the jist of it):

"that prices will not increase for the whole of next year, as long as economic conditions do not change and there are no further increases in fuel prices"

Well, what a wonderful promise!!! Of course there is no mention of prices coming down if fuel prices drop! [/QUOTE

I would have thought that a large company such as this would have had a contract to buy fuel ahead much like most airlines but perhaps they had not thought of this or perhaps they have.

Originally posted by Joffrey
You are right, but what ****** me off is when I sit in bus 41 and we are stuck in a traffic jam because cars are using buslanes!!

In London the buses have cameras that take photos of cars in the bus lane infront of them and send them to the police.

Originally posted by nick2
In London the buses have cameras that take photos of cars in the bus lane infront of them and send them to the police.

Slightly off the topic have a go at throwing a brick at a bus in the City of London by scroats etc and see what happens a bit different than here in South Yorkshire where I get the impression that its just part of life.

Originally posted by nick2
In London the buses have cameras that take photos of cars in the bus lane infront of them and send them to the police.

The 41's have a camera on the front of the bus facing the road,so if the law was the same for Yorkshire as it is for London,then maybe they could do something about it.But the PTE would have to fund it as First would'nt and why should they.

time for them to switch to Bio-Diesel. Then maybe drop it a pound a day.

Summary of price changes from Saturday 19 November 2005:

SINGLE FARES
50p to 60p
50p FirstHop (3 stop hop)Withdrawn
90p to 100p
130p to 150p
160p to 180p
190p to 210p
220p to 240p
90p Travel Adda to 100p
30p Centro to 50p
200p Switcha to 220p

DAY TICKETS
£3 all day South Yorkshire to £3.50
£6 Group to £7

WEEK TICKETS
£13 South Yorkshire to £15 South Yorkshire
£10 Student to £12 Student

MONTH TICKETS
£45 South Yorkshire to £54 South Yorkshire

compared to Leeds... we have it way bad
FirstDay £3.00.
FirstDay (Off Peak)

Travelling after 9.30 you can buy our FirstDay (Off Peak) for only £2.10. Only valid for travel in the Leeds area and can be purchased from your driver.

FirstDay (Off Peak) £2.10
FirstDay Out £1.30

FirstWeek (Leeds) - £12
The FirstWeek is a seven day ticket that allows you to travel anywhere in Leeds for just £12. Available from your Driver.

FirstWeek (GreenZone) - £7.50
The FirstWeek (GreenZone) is valid within the GreenZone (see map for details). Available from your Driver.


FirstMonth £41.20
First3Month £120

Peak Fares
These fares are charged up to 9.30am and between 3pm and 6pm, Monday to Friday. The maximum peak fare is £1.90

Off Peak Fares
A lower fare charged between 9.30am and 3pm and after 6pm Monday to Friday. All day Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. The maximum off peak fare is £1.40.

Elderly Persons Fare - 35p anytime after 0930 Monday to Friday

Am I right in thinking that First doesn't have the same strangle-hold on buses in West Yorkshire as it does in South Yorkshire? One of the pretences for increasing fares in South Yorkshire earlier this year was to "simplify" fares, removing the day, week and month tickets for each individual town in South Yorkshire and making people buy tickets at a higher price that cover the whole of South Yorkshire, whether they needed that flexibility or not. First would probably argue that they can't offer this flexibility across West Yorkshire, as they do not have the same coverage there as they do across our county, and that is why the Leeds fares are cheaper.

i find the price increases shocking, cant the council do something to stop this huge increase yet again.

alot of cleaners who you see early in the mornings on buses, who work part time, for minimum wages, are really going to feel the pinch with these huge increases.

there's also a laughable explanaton on first mainlines website, saying the price increase is due to increased fuel prices etc.

but they're hoping to stick to their promise of not increasing the prices ever again, until january 2007, and then it goes onto say, unless they have to because of increased fuel charges:hihi: so expect them to be going up in another 3 months then

Originally posted by SpeedwayDan
i find the price increases shocking, cant the council do something to stop this huge increase yet again.

alot of cleaners who you see early in the mornings on buses, who work part time, for minimum wages, are really going to feel the pinch with these huge increases.

there's also a laughable explanaton on first mainlines website, saying the price increase is due to increased fuel prices etc.

but they're hoping to stick to their promise of not increasing the prices ever again, until january 2007, and then it goes onto say, unless they have to because of increased fuel charges:hihi: so expect them to be going up in another 3 months then

Unfortunately there is virtually nothing the Council can do about it. The only thing they can do is to try and influence First, but they have no powers to stop them increasing fares at the rate they are doing. Because First are a private company and deregulation has meant public transport is a free market, then the Council is not able to interfere with the companies providing the service, just as they could not tell Bassett's what price to sell liquorice Allsorts at! It's a stupid state of affairs. If private companies must run public services, then they should be accountable to a public office, and that office must have real power to stop the company taking advantage of it's position of providing a service that users have little choice about using.

What stinks more is that on First's website, the official announcement justifies the increase on the basis of a 40% increase in costs over the last five years - so why exactly have fares increased by 40% in just the last 9 months?!? I dread to think how much they have increased by over 5 years!

Originally posted by mr_chris
Well, looks like I'm going to learn to drive....

How can they possibly justify an increase of 50% in just 13 months? It's ridiculous. I have to wait for a 76 which may, or may not, turn up and this is the *only* bus available to me without a 20 minute walk down to Woodseats, which has now become an even bigger joke since the "improvements" to the Abbey Lane/Meadowhead junction.
*sigh*

Try route 293, operated by TM Travel - this is an alternative to the 76, although it is much less frequent.

Route is the same as the 76 down through Greenhill to beauchief roundabout, but then drops down Hutcliffe Wood Road and Archer Road onto Abbeydale Rd, avoiding Woodseats.

Their website is www.tmtravel.co.uk

this is what happens when you let privatisation happen. damn tories.

Originally posted by d71146
I would have thought that a large company such as this would have had a contract to buy fuel ahead much like most airlines but perhaps they had not thought of this or perhaps they have. [/B]

Whether you like it or not, they are under no obligation to explain their prices. The only action available is to vote with your feet and boycott them.

The thing is though, most people think, is it worth the hassle? Its a question of how far they can push it. the tactic of companies in a (relatively) unregulated market is to first of all corner the market, and then, when you are in a position of unassailable strength, put your prices up.

It is a totally cynical ploy, and they would have done the same regardless of the cost of fuel.

As I said earlier, this country has bought into the privatisation myth, and we are now reaping the results. And its not just the Tories; in terms of Privatisation, Blair is to the right of Thatcher.

Originally posted by banesmabes
Am I right in thinking that First doesn't have the same strangle-hold on buses in West Yorkshire as it does in South Yorkshire? One of the pretences for increasing fares in South Yorkshire earlier this year was to "simplify" fares, removing the day, week and month tickets for each individual town in South Yorkshire and making people buy tickets at a higher price that cover the whole of South Yorkshire, whether they needed that flexibility or not. First would probably argue that they can't offer this flexibility across West Yorkshire, as they do not have the same coverage there as they do across our county, and that is why the Leeds fares are cheaper.

I think in Leeds they have some serious competion from Arriva which proberly explains the lower fares.Where we only have Yorkshire Terrier.

I caught the Bus into town on Sunday and there was an lady moaning alway into town regarding the fare increase,and said that she would start catching the Terrier in future,i thought you would have a long wait for one on a Sunday!