From First's "Fairer fares for all" booklet
If a journey begins within a flat fare zone but travels beyond the border of the zone, the fare will be calculated as follows: Flat fare to the border of the zone, the ^2.50, ^3.50, ^4.50 or ^5.50 depending on the distance travelled thereafter
There is no doubt that the above quote was vague and open to several different interpretations. However, now the new fare structure is in place and I^ve had the chance to study a number of different fare tables, I reckon I can see why they left it somewhat cloudy.
First of all, I would point out that single journeys that don^t involve travel into, out of or through the Bath Flat Fare Zone do appear to be based on the actual distance travelled as you would expect.
But what of single journeys that do involve the Bath Flat Fare Zone?
Answer from Karen Baxter, who handles PR▸ for First West of England:
For single journeys that START INSIDE the Bath Flat Fare Zone:
Wholly within Bath Flat Fare Zone - ^2.20
Three to six miles - from ^2.50
Six to nine miles - from ^3.50
Nine to 12 miles - from ^4.50
Over 12 miles (within West of England area) - ^5.50
For single journeys that START OUTSIDE the Bath Flat Fare Zone:
Up to three miles - From ^1.50
Three to six miles - from ^2.50
Six to nine miles - from ^3.50
Nine to 12 miles - from ^4.50
Over 12 miles (within West of England area) - ^5.50
4 out of the 7 Bath Flat Fare Zone border points exit into the West of England Zone. One of these, Odd Down Recycling Centre through which buses on the Radstock/Midsomer Norton corridor run, has single fares from Bath Bus Station that also appear to be based on the actual distance travelled ie from Bath Bus Station itself to ultimate destination. Example below:
SERVICE 173 ADULT SINGLE FARES FROM BATH BUS STATION
To Wellsway - ^2.20 (flat fare)
To Peasedown St John - ^2.50
To Radstock - ^3.50
To Midsomer Norton and Chilcompton - ^4.50
To Gurney Slade, South Horrington and Wells - ^5.50
However, the other 3 Bath Flat Fare Zone border points that exit into the West of England Zone (Midford Clearbrook Farm for the Frome corridor plus Batheaston Kellands and Limpley Stoke River Bridge for the Wiltshire corridors) have single fares from Bath Bus Station that do NOT appear to be based on the actual distance travelled ie from Bath Bus Station itself to ultimate destination.
Instead, there is a subtle but significant change in how the formula is applied - single fares from Bath Bus Station through these border points appear to be based on the distance travelled from the border point to ultimate destination. Example below (the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice an interesting anomaly ^ more on that later) :
SERVICE 265 ADULT SINGLE FARES FROM BATH BUS STATION
To Bathampton - ^2.20 (flat fare)
To Winsley - ^1.50
To Bradford-on-Avon - ^2.50
To Trowbridge - ^3.50
To White Horse Business Park - ^4.50
To Yarnbrook - ^4.50
To Westbury, Warminster and destinations through to Salisbury - ^5.50
Its relatively clear why First would choose to do this ^ Applying the distance-based formula in its pure form would have resulted in noticeable increases in some single fares from Bath to destinations along the Bath-Frome & Bath-Wiltshire corridors, which in turn would have conflicted with the PR ethos of the Fairer Fare changes, which is to send out a message of some increases, some decreases, but ultimately balancing out for the better.
What would be interesting to know is whether this was planned all along, or whether, given that many fare charts were not signed off until there were less than 48 hours to go to implementation, it was a decision made at the very last minute.
We will probably never know for sure.
So how will the new West of England Zone fare structure affect passengers in practice? Well, it^s no surprise that First have focused the majority of their publicity on the effect on single fares, because that^s where most of the good news is. In general terms, the biggest savings are to be found on single journeys at either end of the distance spectrum ie the shortest and longest distance journeys ^ Shortest journeys because single fares have historically been on the high side compared to distance travelled on such trips, and longest journeys because the new fare structure sets a cap of ^5.50 for adult single trips over 12 miles.
Middle-distance single journeys tend to see either slight increases or slight decreases in price. The following key adult single journeys from Melksham illustrate this:
MELKSHAM-BATH ^ Was ^4, now ^4.50 +50p
MELKSHAM-CHIPPENHAM - Was ^4, now ^3.50 -50p
MELKSHAM-TROWBRIDGE - Was ^4, now ^3.50 -50p
However, the Fairer Fares publicity hardly mentions the effect on 2-way journeys in the West of England Zone, and when one looks deeper it^s easy to see why.
Under the old fare structure, almost all adult return journeys in the West of England Zone were priced below ^7, in order to keep them below the ^7 charged for the First Day South West ticket. However, the new fare structure abolishes return tickets, effectively leaving 2-way journeys capped at the ^7 charged for a First West of England Day ticket (see grahame^s earlier post for the subtle but significant difference between ^South West^ & ^West of England^).
In practice, this means that almost all 2-way journeys in the West of England Zone (including all the key Melksham journeys mentioned above) where the adult single fare is ^3.50 or more will increase in price under the new structure. The only 2-way journeys that will reduce in price are some, but by no means all, of the 2-way journeys in the West of England Zone where the adult single fare has been reduced to ^2.50 or less.
Interestingly, this relative minority of journeys includes some of the fares that were most considered by the public to be unreasonably high. Examples include Bradford-on-Avon to Trowbridge, where the adult 2-way journey reduces from ^4 return to ^3 for two singles, which in themselves should have priced at ^2.50 under the new structure, but some judicious section-tweaking has seen that drop to ^1.50 single, half the price it was before. The relatively high previous price of Bradford-on-Avon to Trowbridge fares was cited as a key reason that working-age Bradford residents were put off using the bus, according to extensive surveys I myself was involved with last year.
Also, grahame mentions in a previous post the long-held public view that Corsham-Chippenham bus fares were too high. However, under the new fare structure, the 2-way journey reduces from ^5.40 adult return to ^5 for two singles, whilst the adult single reduces from ^4.10 to ^2.50.
Finally, remember that interesting anomaly from earlier that the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed?
Winsley, which as both grahame & myself have mentioned in previous posts has been the scene of much acrimony in the past between bus users and First over route changes, comes out as one of the biggest winners of the new fare structure, with an adult single from Bath Bus Station reducing from ^4 to ^1.50. This is a cheaper adult single journey than Bath-Bathampton, which is reached well before Winsley but will cost ^2.20 for an adult single from Bath Bus Station.
It's a funny old world.
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