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GREAT news for bus users in Manchester - First Group is putting its fares up in the New Year.
As a First Bus user (the 33 between Wigan and Manchester, since you ask), I've spent countless despondent hours stood waiting for a bus that seems simply unable to operate to its timetable.
The sad thing is that I can write that knowing I'm not at any risk of libel, because aside from being fair comment, it's also true.
The service they run is, quite frankly, rubbish. It's also doubley depressing that along with Stagecoach, they pretty much have Greater Manchester sewn up.
And from 2nd January 2012, First are 'revising' prices in Greater Manchester. Revising them upwards, of course, and not down, 'to cover rising costs such as fuel.'
Here's the new pricing situation:
New Adult Single ticket prices
£1.40 now £1.50
£1.90 now £2.10
£2.20 now £2.50
£2.80 now £3.10
£3.50 now £3.80
£4.60 now £4.50
Some services charge non-standard fares:
New Child Single ticket prices
With an IGO card:
£0.70 now £0.75
£0.90 now £1.05
£1.10 now £1.25
£1.40 now £1.55
£1.70 now £1.90
£2.30 now £2.25
Without an IGO card:
£0.90 now £0.95
£1.20 now £1.35
£1.40 now £1.60
£1.80 now £2.00
£2.30 now £2.45
£3.00 now £2.90
Period tickets
FirstDay - adult now £4.50 / child reduced £2.00
FirstDay Family now £8.60
FirstWeek - adult now £18.00 / child reduced £7.00*
FirstMonth - adult now £58.00
First Student 3 month - unchanged £110.00
First Annual - now £550.00
* promotional price, £8.00 from April 2012
Other fares:
Service 22
£0.80 now £1.00
Service 110
£1.20 now £1.30
£1.30 now £1.40
£1.50 now £1.70
£1.70 now £1.90
£1.80 now £2.00
£2.20 now £2.50
£2.80 now £3.10
Service 350
£1.30 now £1.50
£1.80 now £2.10
Service 410/411
£1.00 now £1.10
£1.40 now £1.50
£1.70 now £1.80
£1.80 now £1.90
Promotional Fares:
Service 81/81A/88/89 - £2.50 return and £12 weekly (valid between Manchester & Moston only) - unchanged
Services 348/350 - £2.50 day ticket now £2.80
Service 425 - £3.00 return now £3.30
Service 519 - £2.00 return withdrawn
So there you go. More ammunition for the @FirstBusFail group on Twitter?
Probably. There is a solution for First Group though. It's innovative, forward-thinking and highly controversial.
Be on time.
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First's 53 service forced me to get a car. For four years I put up with their horrible buses, inability to run to any timetable, never-ending fare increases and couldn't-give-a-crap attitude. I will never go back.
Just this weekend a friend wanted to visit and chose to use the 53 so we could both have a Christmas drink. Even running a Sunday service on quiet roads, the damn thing never arrived. In the end, I drove, picked up my friend, drove back and didn't spot a single 53 bus on the roads.
First Manchester run a terrible service with a disgusting attitude.
Until Stagecoach put up their fares, that's an 80p difference in the adult day ticket [3.70 Stagecoach].
Nationalise public transport! Britain is at such a disadvantage when it comes to mobility, it's unbelievable!
Metrolink are to wack up prices in January too.
This is appalling. Living out at the end of the 33/36 route the only bus company my other half can use is First - and they are never on time, they went on strike for endless Mondays and at the busiest times they run single deckers and fail to stop. Any price increase is unacceptable, First have continual issues that need to be addressed.
Two pounds (three bucks) plus for a single fare? You gotta be kidding folks! Come to NY, live like a king just on your current monthly fare budget!
Three quid for train? Come work in Rome: Metro only one Euro, get a pizza lunch free every day! Bunga Bunga!
Royaume-Uni? Pas des points!
UK not compe-eive? This is why, bro... you get me?
wat a rip off first are 163 never run on time i do this trip every day and for the last 5 years never once have they been on time and the attitude of some drivers stink and winter never any heating on how the hell can they ask for fare rises when they only just ripping the kids off with the prices they charge for them start chargin over 6os then us workers might not get ripped off as much you got a bloody cheek first when you make so much profit
The 93 service needs improving with old smelly and rickety buses and missing bus services. When I've complained in the past they said there is 'not a demand' for the service, funny seeing as it's mostly standing room only in the evening. With only one bus an hour after 8pm it's pretty poor for a bus serving a heavily populated (and rising) area of Salford.
They really are rubbish. I'm still out of pocket by £50 after their FOUR strikes in September 2009. Only now I am writing to the Cheif Executive and he had better give a crap.