Bus fares for North Devon over-16 students ‘unaffordable and grossly unfair’

Pressure is being put on bus company Stagecoach to make its pricing fair for all North Devon students aged 16 and over after families slammed increases as ‘unaffordable and grossly unfair’.

The creation of a new ‘Barnstaple zone’ means that further education students travelling from or to other areas in the district for school or college are having to pay nearly twice the cost per term for a bus ticket.

Pleas are being made to reinstate the TermRider ticket for North Devon or extend the Barnstaple zone so all students can travel at the same price.

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North Devon MP Ian Roome has reported receiving countless emails from families saying they will no longer be able to afford to send their child to school or college on the bus, or will have to consider sending them elsewhere.

Jillian Field told how she was facing costs of £444 a term to get her daughter from Combe Martin to Ilfracombe Academy for sixth form by bus. A similar distance from Braunton to Petroc College, within the Barnstaple zone, was £243 a term.

She said 16-year-olds had no choice but to stay in education until they were 18, yet the disparity in bus fares across North Devon meant that many didn’t have a choice in where they studied when family finances were tight.

She said it wasn’t surprising that some were choosing to go to Exeter College instead of staying on at their local school for sixth form as the train fares were cheaper than the bus even though it was much further away.

The former teacher said: “I just want equity for all children. Ilfracombe is not a wealthy area yet parents are having to pay more on bus fares. It is grossly unfair. There should be one student ticket across the board.”

Headteachers are joining the campaign to get Stagecoach to review its student tickets.

Steve Rogers, headteacher at The Ilfracombe Academy has written to the MP and the managing director of Stagecoach South West, Peter Knight, outlining his concerns about the withdrawal of the ‘affordable’ Stagecoach TermRider pass for young people in the Ilfracombe community.

Mr Rogers said: “I understand that students are being offered a South West TermRider. While this may be convenient for those wishing to travel across the region, it is entirely unnecessary for students simply trying to reach their local school and represents an unnecessary increase in cost.

“Local young people should be allowed to choose to attend whichever educational provider they feel best serves their needs and should not have to make such decisions based on the cost of transport.

“I have asked the local MP and managing director to work with me to find a fair solution which ensures that the young people of North Devon, particularly those in our most isolated communities, are not disadvantaged by a public transport system that should be enabling their success.”

Mr Roome, who campaigned successfully to get Stagecoach to make changes to under-16 fares after significant price increases met with outcry from the public, has written again to Peter Knight this week to try and get the under 16 ticket deal extended for 16 to 18-year-olds.

He said the Barnstaple zone should be extended to take in communities such as South Molton and Ilfracombe.

The MP added: “I do recognise the need for Stagecoach to remain commercially viable, but with schools and colleges now back, it should come as no surprise that many families have been in touch with me again.

“Some are saying they simply can’t afford to send their child on the bus, others even considering changing schools because of the cost.”

Above: North Devon MP Ian Roome is pushing Stagecoach to extend the Barnstaple zone TermRider ticket. Credit: Ian Roome’s office

He asked that Stagecoach involve the public, local authorities, schools and colleges in a review due to take place and not just be an internal process or “the outcome would not reflect the reality.”

Mr Roome said that services carrying post-16 students were often full with passengers.

“As parents repeatedly point out to me, surely it cannot be right that a bus running at capacity does not cover its own costs. It now feels as though school and college students are being used to subsidise the wider network,” he said.

The MP has offered to work with Mr Knight to lobby central government for fairer funding and policy support.

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A spokesperson for Stagecoach said: “We understand the strength of feeling about recent fare and ticket changes, particularly for young people in education and we are committed to reviewing our travel zones and ticketing options. 

“As part of this, we are looking closely at the boundaries of our current zones and the fare options available for 16 to 18-year-olds. Like many operators, we are facing significant increases in operating costs and in rural areas the cost of delivering services is higher due to longer routes and lower passenger numbers. 

“While we must ensure that revenue covers the cost of maintaining a safe and reliable bus network, we are determined to explore every opportunity to make travel affordable and accessible for young people and the wider community.”