Chaos looms on school bus fares

Bus operators are predicting chaos at school gates in Rochdale next week when new concessionary fares are introduced.

Pupils have enjoyed flat-fare concessions for almost four decades but Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) voted last month to scrap them for schoolchildren and pensioners before 9.30am because of Government spending cuts.

The new arrangements come into force on Monday when young people aged five to 16 and students with a GMPTE pass to travel to and from college will pay half the normal adult bus fare for the journey being made.

But operators say that their drivers will have their work cut out to cope with the new arrangements. Gradyn Thompson, general manager of Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association, said: “We foresee big problems for bus drivers. They will try to help the children but the point is that different operators charge different fares.”

The problem, he says, will be more serious in the afternoon than in the morning. Pupils travelling to school in the morning will predictably go to bus stops nearest their homes. But when the afternoon bell goes, they will grab the first bus to come along, leaving drivers to argue if the fares are higher than rivals.

Mr Thompson said: “There will be drivers getting into conflict with children. But both in the companies’ internal policies and the contract they have to run school services, the onus is on the operator to make sure that vulnerable people and children are not left behind.”

Fares on Yellow School Buses, dedicated school services subsidised, Ring & Ride buses and Local Link services are also changing, and the boundary of the local concessionary fare scheme is also being simplified.

These will be £1 for a short (up to 1 mile) single journey, £1.20 for medium (1-5 miles) trip and £1.40 for a long (more than 5 miles) single journey. In some cases, return fares will also be available.

Disabled travellers who currently pay 80p before 9.30am on weekdays will instead pay half the adult fare, but will continue to travel free on buses, trams and local trains at all other times. People with a Concession Plus pass will continue to travel for free at all times, as now.