To Stagecoach: stop huge bus fare rises for children in Exeter (keep £1 child add-ons) 2018

I usually get the bus into Exeter from Exminster with my 2 children but now will avoid the bus as it is too expensive. This price rise will disadvantage people on low incomes or those who do not drive and have a negative effect on the environment. It also discriminates against families travelling on the bus with children.

I cannot understand the Stagecoach approach... they should take a look London Transport’s approach. We want to cut down on car use because of pollution so surely Stagecoach can support this objective

When a bus company has a monopoly, as Stagecoach does on most routes in Exeter, there needs to be close consultation with the local community and accountability to the council, to ensure that the desire for profit is balanced against the needs of the city as a whole. This huge fares increase for children massively discourages people from taking the bus to school rather than driving, and leaves people with mobility problems who don’t have cars reliant on taxis to transport children. The withdrawal of the H link between the University, Cowley Bridge and St David’s station makes no sense given the huge number of visitors to Exeter who arrive at St David’s and then need to get to the University - and it is also hugely inconveniencing elderly people who live out toward Cowley Bridge, and the families whose children attend the Steiner Academy, many of whom travel from outside Exeter. Stagecoach needs to act in consultation with the broader community and to do much, much more to justify these decisions which are so bad for our city.

yes do it

I think it’s awful that stagecoach decided to Hun from £1per child to £3. What about the family’s who use bus to get kids too and throw school ??? Or family who rely on busses to get there food shopping ??? We are asked as a whole to use busses and trains to avoid clogging up our roads but with bus prices rising like this there is no incentive to use this bus service !

The rise in bus fare is ridiculous, stage coach aren't doing eExeter any favours, people will just stop using the bus and as for shopping, shop online, stagecoach you are putting shops out of business, or u will be, hope your happy

People won’t be able to afford bus fare so will stop using the bus

Eextorsionate prices

Excessive increase and will only discourage families from using public transport, thus clogging up city centre all the more.

Families need to be encouraged to use public transport more in Exeter but this fare increase means it is far cheaper to drive and park in the city centre than it is to use the bus.

I haven't bought my usual weekly ticket now for the third week running which I myself used daily. I would only take the children on the bus twice a week which now works out more than my weekly ticket. With the price increase I would rather walk along the river and up the back to town.

We don't use the buses as they are so expensive and the routes are rubbish. We need more competitive prices and extra bus companies in the city with more choice like other cities have.

It's a discussing increase and would now be cheaper to park in the main high street car parks all day than it would be for a family of four to get the bus. So much for congestion concerns!!!

Bus fares are too high for people to be able to afford them as they are, especially for occasional use/one way or return journeys. It puts many people off using it and car journeys remain cheaper and more convenient for short trips. Increasing child fares will put even more people off using the bus. Bad for traffic, pollution, Exeter and its people.

My weekly bus rate has gone up by £7.50 to get one paying child to school which is just 3 stops

This increase is ludicrous and we should be making green travel affordable therefore increasing the use and demand!

I'm a single parent to two children. I can't afford to buy and run a car. A fare to town from our house would normally cost around five pounds I'd now going to jump to a tenner. This is another way to penalise society's poorest people. Stagecoach has been allowed to have the monopoly on bus travel in Exeter. This unfair advantage allows them to charge whatever they like and this needs to be curbed.

Are they thinking about all the family’s this will effect on a low income it’s outrageous I would rather learn to drive and pay parking

I think that this increase in bus fares for children is utterly ridiculous. It's ok maybe if you have one child but more than that its very expensive. And family will either take there own transport or get a taxi

Wholeheartedly support this - people will stop going into Exeter, this could be disastrous for our shops and economy