Isle of Man school bus fares rise by a third

Bus travel for school children was free on the island until 2015

A "whopping" rise in school bus fares on the Isle of Man will be "a worry" for families, a former Manx Children's Champion has said.

The 10p hike means students travelling to school or college will have to pay 40p - a rise of 33%.

Daphne Caine MHK said the increase would impact families on lower incomes.

The Department of Infrastructure said the rise was to fund the "heavily-subsidised" services and compared "favourably" to prices in the UK.

DOI member Jason Moorhouse admitted the increase did "not make welcome news".

Travel on school buses was free for students on the island until 2015, when a 25p charge was introduced. Fares then rose to 30p in January 2018.

Mr Moorhouse said the rise aimed to "reduce the subsidy currently being carried by the taxpayer for this important service".

The new cost comes into effect immediately.

'Not a good day'

However, Mrs Caine, who held the role of Children's Champion between 2016 and 2018, said: "It's not a good day when school bus fares increase by a whopping 33% to generate extra income for the bus company.

"That will be a worry for many families, some of whom may be just above the income level to be eligible for free school meals and free school travel.

"Bus Vannin recently announced an 11% increase in passenger numbers and I would hope they focus on making it more sustainable by continuing to increase usage rather than fares, especially on school journeys."

The Children's Champion role was established to promote the welfare of vulnerable young people.

The price rise applies to those using pre-paid Go School smart travel cards.