Lib Dems call for cheaper off-peak bus fares in Birmingham (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems call for cheaper off-peak bus fares in Birmingham

October 14, 2009 6:43 PM

Lib Dem councillors have called for cheaper bus tickets for use during off-peak hours on Birmingham's buses.

Liberal Democrat councillors have called for "recession-busting" bus tickets that could be used during off-peak hours on Birmingham's buses. The cheapest through ticket is currently £3.30 and evening savers are too late for anyone to do their shopping.

Lib Dem Councillor Paul Tilsley proposed the motion at the Birmingham City Council meeting on Tuesday 13 September 2009. He said that cheaper off-peak tickets for use on more than one bus would increase the disposal income of those travelling, which would benefit local businesses where bus users shop. Such fares were vital for helping to tackle the problems of recession. For many people, it could be the difference between staying at home and going out.

In seconding the motion, Councillor Jon Hunt said that there would good economic reasons for bus operators to fill services at off-peak hours and that Centro was also interested in this gap in the market. The tickets could be trialled to assess practical problems and smart card systems were also on the way, which would make it much easier to introduce new ticket offers.

The full text of the motion adopted by Birmingham City Council, with cross-party support, is:

"This Council notes the valuable help given to job-seekers and new earners by the Workwise scheme.

However it notes that for many people, occasional bus travel is expensive, with the cheapest through ticket costing £3.30, and that the Workwise scheme only covers limited instances for those out of work or on low and reduced incomes.

It calls on Centro and bus operators to develop "recession-busting" low-cost through tickets that can be used during off-peak hours, by considering options such as:

a) introducing a promotional ticket to be piloted for a period of up to a year;

b) considering time-limited through tickets;

c) adding a low-cost time-limited ticket to the existing Nbus range;

d) incorporating discount and economy options in the development of new pricing structures as part of the implementation of Smartcard systems."