Bus fares rise as new timetable comes into force

Changes to timetables came into force from Tuesday

Fares for adult bus passengers on the Isle of Man have risen by between 10p and 20p per journey.

Bus Vannin's Children's fares remain half of the adult price and some will be unchanged by the increases under the revisions, which coincide with changes to bus timetables.

While the new schedule includes extra buses in late afternoon between Noble's Hospital and Douglas and Onchan, it also sees the frequency of early journeys from the capital to the south cut at weekends.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall said the increase in fares, which is the first since 2013, had been "limited as far as possible".

'Heavily subsidised'

Under the new fares, single journeys will range from £1.20 to £3.60 depending on journey length., up from the previous £1.10p to £3.40.

Day saver tickets have also increased by between 50p and £1, while explore and family explore tickets have risen by between £2 for a one-day adult explore ticket and £7 for a seven-day family explore ticket.

Alongside the increases, some prepaid ticket bands have been withdrawn, which the department said was "due to a lack of use".

Under the timetable changes, the starting locations of some routes through and out of Douglas have been altered, and many journeys have had their times altered.

The revisions to departure times have also led to some service reductions by the government-owned bus operator.

Mr Crookall said: "The team at Bus Vannin has made a number of changes to the timetable both in response to feedback and to provide the heavily-subsidised service with better value for money."

The new timetable has been published online, with printed copies available from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, the Isle of Man Airport, the House of Manannan in Peel and all bus depots.