New bus ticket allows passengers to travel across West
BUS users in the Bristol area can now use a new ticket to make unlimited journeys in and around the city.
A dozen bus operators across the region have come together to launch the AvonRider, which allows people to hop from bus to bus for a fixed price.
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Bus firms join together to launch the AvonRider travelcard for use across the West of England
The ticket can be bought from drivers on most of the services offered by First, Wessex, Abus, Bath Bus Company, Bakers-Dolphin, CT Coaches, Crosville Motor Services, Faresaver, North Somerset Coaches, Severnside Transport, Somerbus and Webber Bus.
It is valid for travel on the majority of routes covering Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
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The adult AvonRider ticket is currently on an introductory offer of £7.20, but will rise to £7.50.
Children's and student prices will also be introduced once the travelcard is established.
John Burch, spokesman for the West of England Bus Operators' Association, the organisation behind the roll-out of the new ticket, said: "The development of this multi-operator travelcard is significant. It is something that the operators have worked on together for the benefit of customers.
"It will mean that a customer can travel throughout the entire West of England region, using multiple different operators' services for one set price.
"The travelcard can be bought on any of the operators' services making the process of getting one really simple for the customer.
"This will ultimately save customers time and money and make travelling by bus much easier for everyone."
Mr Burch said the tickets were mainly aimed at commuters who use more than one bus to get to and from work, often from different operators, and tourists in the region who may want to visit a number of attractions in a single day.
And he said the ticket would also help in the drive to get more people out of their cars and onto public transport.
Mr Burch added: "The idea is to get people out of their cars and see what's on offer on the region's buses.
"We have no idea how many people will buy the AvonRider tickets, but obviously we hope as many bus users as possible make use of them.
"If, for example, someone lives in Weston-super-Mare and gets a bus into Bristol every day, then changes to another bus for work, they can make considerable savings.
"We are also aiming for the people who have to drive into Bristol and park at a cost of £10 to £16 per day."
Talking of the changing face of public transport in the Bristol area, he added: "We felt that it's only right, therefore, that the operators should take the initiative to get this form of ticket developed."
As previously reported, local authorities and bus companies are working together to develop a "smartcard" swipe system, similar to that of the Oyster card in London.
Buses are becoming equipped with the technology and a pilot scheme is expected to launch in Bath later this year, which, if successful will roll out in Bristol either this year or in 2013.
It is anticipated that the AvonRider could also become electronic once the systems are in place.
Yesterday, double and single-decker buses from most of the AvonRider operators were lined up at First's depot on Easton Road, Bristol, to show their support for the scheme.
Smaller zones and different tariffs will also be developed over the coming months.
For each ticket, the operator from which the ticket is bought gets half of the money and the other half is put into a pool to cover the cost of the scheme and to be shared among the operators involved, dependent on the mileages.
It is hoped all bus operators in the region will eventually sign up.
To join, operators should contact John Burch on 07940 929881 or email johnb@cpt-uk.org.
Comments
by stockwoodpete
Tuesday, September 11 2012, 10:24AM
“Hmmm.....
Response from BCC about validity of AvonRider on contracted services:
"Unfortunately the ticket is not available on certain Bristol City Council supported services at present (511, 512, 513, 514, 515 and Park and Ride services), however we are in negotiations with the partners of the scheme to try and provide the Avon Rider on these services."
You'd think it would just be a matter of council-run services having the same terms as any other operating partner. But maybe that's too simplistic!”
by stockwoodpete
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 11:11PM
“Thanks, Starskee
At present the councils have virtually no control over public transport, apart from the contracted services and some negotiated deals with operators (like showcase bus routes). Seems to me that if we want public transport as a public service, not a cash cow for big corporations, it's our councils that need to run the show.
That said, it needs more expertise than the combined councils seem to possess at present (and why should they employ that expertise when they haven't the power to put it to good use?) A bit of a vicious circle, isn't it?
We've finally got a bus service in Stockwood (no. 515) providing a regular link to the delights of our next door ward, Hengrove. It's a very useful service, contracted to Wessex Connect, and the fares seem significantly cheaper than First's. But it's not linked in to the 'real time' system, and from what you say the AvonRider ticket won't be valid on it. That seems inexcusable.”
by Starskee
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 8:58PM
“stockwoodpete - Bristol City Council want to force their own ticketing arrangements on operators so that they have control over it. Their public transport staff and councillors seem petrified of not having complete control over everything whilst having no practical expertise in their department and precious little contact with reality.”
by ceembee
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 8:19PM
“Bring back the 3 stop hop too if you want this individual & others like me to use the bus. If I need to go into Broadmead I now walk but mostly have given up doing any shopping there because of the price of a ticket to go the 3 stops I need. As for this new initiative it's certainly good to see co-operation but it is pricey & going up as well. I think it's appeal will be limited.”
by stockwoodpete
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 6:05PM
“That's interesting about BCC's contracted services, Starskee. Anyone know why they should do this? On the face of it, it's just stupid and obstructive.”
by Starskee
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 2:26PM
“The day ticket is the first product being offered, plans are in place to offer a greater variety of tickets in the future both in terms of duration and geographical area. It is only recently that competition law has been revised to actually allow bus companies to talk to each other and arrange joint ticketing schemes like this.
As usual though, this comments section demonstrates that the average Bristolian who drives their car everywhere and parks illegally has no concept of the actual costs involved in providing public transport, nor the gross incompetency of Bristol City Council who have specifically demanded that several of their bus service contracts run by Wessex Connect are EXCLUDED from the scheme. Then the public blames the bus operators for not making progress...?”
by Bristol123
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 1:50PM
“oohhh might have guessed First would get involved with this, trying to fool people into believing they're doing something for the commuters. First are an appalling company and only out for themselves!”
by Bristol123
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 1:47PM
“g”
by Brennus
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 12:30PM
“No thanks - it's a bus.”
by stockwoodpete
Tuesday, September 04 2012, 12:04PM
“This is progress. OK, it's a bit on the pricey side, it's geographically very limited – but it does show that the different companies have finally got together to deliver a cross-operator ticket. In other parts of the country they've been doing that for decades. Let's hope this is the first step in the West of England catching up.
Even so, it does need a transport authority with the power to set routes and fares to do the job properly.”