Successful discount travel scheme set to continue in Stoke-on-Trent for further six months

An extremely successful discount travel scheme which saw bus fares cut by up to 50 per cent is set to continue for a further six months.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council teamed up with bus operators to launch its Affordable Fares scheme in July 2023, offering heavily discounted bus tickets for adults and young people.

So far, more than 2.5 million tickets have been sold through the scheme which has been hailed a huge success both locally and nationally.

Now Affordable Fares is set to continue until March 31, 2025 meaning passengers can continue to make the most of low-cost bus travel on bus services operated by First, D&G, Stantons of Stoke, Scraggs and Arriva Midlands.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said: “Our Affordable Fares scheme has been incredibly successful and has even been recognised nationally, by the Department for Transport.

“The discounted bus tickets have made it more affordable for students, workers, families and visitors to get around the city and it’s great to see that so many people have been taking advantage of the scheme which is all part of our ongoing commitment to improving public transport in the city.

“Since we launched Affordable Fares, we have made a number of other improvements including introducing new bus routes in places like Smallthorne, Longton, Burslem and Tunstall, and enhanced and extended services into the evenings and weekends.

“Our ultimate aim is to make it as easy and affordable as possible to get around the city and encourage even more people to use public transport.”

Ian Smith, commercial director for First Potteries Bus Midlands, Manchester and South Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted with the success of the Affordable Fares scheme and the positive impact it’s had on bus travel in Stoke-on-Trent.

“By working closely with the council, we’ve been able to offer significantly reduced fares, which has encouraged more people to choose bus travel. Continuing the scheme for a further six months ensures that our passengers can keep benefitting from these lower fares.

“We are dedicated to ensuring accessible and affordable public transportation for everyone, while continuing to invest in our services and network across the Potteries.”

David Brookes, managing director at D&G, said: “The Affordable Fares Scheme has been a tremendous success. By eliminating the price premium for travelling with multiple operators within the city and simplifying ticketing, alongside service enhancements, the scheme has resulted in significant passenger growth.”

The Affordable Fares Scheme is part of the city council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan which is being funded by £31.6 million from the Department for Transport (DfT).

In order to make the most of the government funding, new ticket prices are being introduced from Sunday 13 October.

The new prices are:

• Adult day ticket - £4.80 (up from £3.50)
• Adult week ticket - £12 (no change)
• Adult month ticket - £42 (no change)
• Adult three-month ticket - £115 (no change)
• Adult year ticket - £504 (up from £400)

• Young person’s day ticket - £3.50 (up from £2)
• Young person’s week ticket – £9 (up from £7)
• Young person’s month ticket - £31.50 (up from £24)
• Young person’s three-month ticket - £85 (up from £60)
• Young person’s year ticket - £378 (up from £200)

Cllr Gordon-McCusker added: “We’ve been talking to our local bus operators about how we can make the most of the government funding available to us and ensure we can offer passengers discounted fares for as long as possible.

“This will mean a price increase for some fares, the first price increase since the introduction of the Affordable Fares scheme 15 months ago. We have done our absolute best to ensure that we can continue to offer low cost travel across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire for as long as possible and we are confident that these new ticket prices are still great value for money in comparison to neighbouring local authorities.”

In Derby, a multi-operator bus ticket starts at £5.80 a day for adults and £3.80 a day for young people rising to £85 a month and £55 a month respectively.

Through a similar scheme in Leicester, day tickets start at £5.60 for adults and £4.30 for children (up to 16) and monthly tickets cost £74 for adults and £57 for children.

Day tickets in Nottingham start at £6.40 for adults and £4.20 for under 19s.

For more information about the Affordable Fares scheme visit: www.stoke.gov.uk/publictransport