Blackpool Transport announces price hikes of up to £2 for all bus and tram fares

From January 16, people travelling on Blackpool Transport buses can expect to pay between 30p and £2 extra for their ticket, with small discounts available for people who purchase online or via the company's app.

Jane Cole, managing director at Blackpool Transport, said: “We always strive to offer great value travel to our customers and despite some changes, travelling by public transport still remains the most cost-effective way of getting around the Fylde Coast.

"As a business we have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and as costs rise, like many other businesses, we’re having to make some changes. We lowered almost all of our prices in August 2020 to help key workers and those travelling with us, so these changes mostly restore the prices that we held in 2019 and will help to sustain our position as one of the UK’s best public transport providers."

The changes will affect tickets for all age groups, except under-fives, who travel free.

The cost of single tickets will increase by 20p for adults and 10p for children aged five to 15-years-old.

Day tickets for adults will increase from £5.50 to £6 if purchased onboard, and £5.20 to £5.50 if purchased on the Blackpool Transport app, while three-day tickets will increase by from £12.50 to £15, or £11.50 to £13.50 via the app. The cost of a seven-day ticket will increase from £15.50 to £17 onboard, and £14.50 to £15.50 online.

Day-long tickets for young people aged 16 to 24 will increase from £3.80 to £4.20 onboard, and £3.20 to £3.70 via the app, while seven-day tickets will go from £14 to £15.

Children's tickets will see the smallest price hike, going from £1.20 for a single ticket to £1.30.

Further increases will also be brought in for family and group tickets, with costs rising between £1.50 and £2.

Tram fares are also set to rise, from £2.10 for a single and £4 for a return, to £2.60 and £4.50 respectively.

A Blackpool Transport spokesman said: "Although our current prices are changing... many of our fares are still lower than they were in August 2019 (prior to the coronavirus pandemic). Our customers can benefit from a smaller price increase and in some cases, no increase at all, when they use the BPL app for their travel.

"We hope that our customers understand that as we continue to recover and grow from the impact that Covid-19 has had on our business we need to increase some of our fares, however, most of these new fares are still relatively lower than they were before the pandemic hit."

They added: Although our fare prices are changing, we are still committed to ensuring our customers get the best value travel. With our great range of saver tickets and lowest prices guaranteed on the BPL app we are confident that there is a ticket suitable for each customer’s individual travel habits and needs."

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