Bus fares down whopping 28%

Cllr Sean Fielding has backed a campaign to reduce Oldham bus fares.

BUS fares in Oldham are being slashed by up to 28 per cent.

It will save passengers as much as £5 a week and is a result of the council’s Fare’s Fair campaign to bring prices in line with those in other parts of Greater Manchester.

Cheaper day and week tickets will start on Sunday, November 18 for customers travelling on First buses within the borough or to and from Manchester city centre.

A FirstDayOldham ticket will cost £3.90, compared to a regular FirstDay ticket of £4.50, saving around 13 per cent.

The FirstWeekOldham ticket will cost £13, almost 28 per cent cheaper than a regular £18 FirstWeek ticket.

People MUST ask for the Oldham tickets or they will be charged for a regular day or weekly ticket which allows unlimited travel anywhere on the First network.

Single, return and other ticket prices remain the same.

Councillor Sean Fielding led the campaign which was backed unanimously by Oldham Council in July.

He argued that FirstBus, which has a near-monopoly in Oldham, charged 50 per cent more for a weekly ticket than Stagecoach, the main bus company in south Manchester.

“We are delighted at this significant reduction in fares in the Oldham area,” said Councillor Fielding.

“Oldham Council has been working with First and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in recent months to secure more affordable fares for our residents.

First is based in Oldham and is one of the borough’s largest employers. The cuts will be monitored and could be introduced in other parts of Greater Manchester.

Regional managing director Dave Alexander said: “We have listened to our customers who have asked for financial incentives to use the bus more often.

“By saving as much as £5 a week, people will have extra money in their pockets that can be spent somewhere else in the local economy.”
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