Bus fare costs

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AIBU in that the cost of bus fares are to high.

For context I took my 2 DDs to the cinema today as its half term here. And it cost me £18 return to do a 20 min round trip.
The bust cost more than the cinema tickets themselves.

My husband had the car for work so it wasn't an option to use it, I'm shocked as it wouldn't cost anywhere near that price in the car.

I agree that bus travel extensively gone up recently so you need to be really watchful. The cap has changed - it’s £3 instead of £2.
Some bus companies have zone pricing so for a short journey you might pay less then £3 but for the longer - more. And short journey means very very short 😢
Child ticket usually depends on age so if your kids look older they can mistakenly get more expensive ticket.
Most bus companies have day tickets as well. And some have discount e.g 1 child travels free with one paying adult.

2 different bus companies in your area might have different prices so it’s worth checking.

As a non driver I agree buses are so expensive! Where I am there are no returns, just singles or dayriders (which you need to be doing 3+ journeys to make it the cheaper option). Also there are 3 bus companies operating in my area which of course a dayrider doesn't cover for different companies. £3 doesn't sound like much but it really does add up. My kids are toddler/baby age but I'm dreading the cost once I need to pay for them too.

That's unfortunate that you live in such an area although stagecoach do family tickets in many places but it's a shame if they don't in your area.

Yes it sounds like you have the bad luck that on your route the children's tickets weren't cheaper.
That's a bit crappy to be honest.
£3 for a single is pretty good for adults - but the ones for your little girls really should be less. Bit rotten of stagecoach not to do a lower single price for children 🙁

It might not happen everywhere but it's definitely a thing in some areas especially during the summer or Christmas when dates tend to like up more. Although our local bus company does it for all half terms too.

You need to say the destination you are getting off. Otherwise bus driver will think you are going to the terminal. If you say 3 singles, then they will charge you the cap.

I know I was only charged £2.40 each way last month as went to the hospital - city centre is another 7 mins on the bus. As I mentioned the hospital.

That good they do that where you live.
My hometown is tucked in a corner with two different counties on either side and the buses cover the whole large area. Unfortunately the half term holiday doesn't always match. It's very irritating 😂

bloody hell and we moan about our bus fares here !!! £2.40 for a under 18 daysaver , £4.80 adult daysaver and think it’s £8.50 for a family or group of up to 5 adults or kids !!
£10.00 for a daysaver is crazy , it’s £64 for a whole month here , it would be more for a week there than our month!!!

And they want people to use public transport and give up cars 🙄

A 7 year old paying the same as an adult? That doesn’t seem right at all.

where are you located that the only bus option is stagecoach? would train have been a cheaper alternative?

£2 Cap here in West Yorkshire and could use the ticket all over West Yorkshire

Yes! Threads like this make me realise how good my bus service is. A group ticket (4 people, unlimited buses from 9.30am-4am) is £5.50

In London we have the fare hopper - unlimited buses for 1 hour for £1.75 and kids are free.

That's not London. Adult bus fares cost £1.75 in London and under-16s are free! (Sorry OP, I realise this isn't helpful to you- can't believe how high your fares are!)

Cumbria

London is 1.75 for a Hopper fare (unlimited changes for an hour on bus and tram). Free until 16. Daily cap is 5.75 and weekly about 17 I think. So you and DDs could have travelled all week for the same fare in London.

Buses are extortionate where I am from originally as well OP. That's what happens when they're privatised. London buses are technically privatised but run under a contract with Tfl which sets fares.

That would be £10 where I live. Adult is £4 for an all-day ticket, and children are £3 each.

Ha Londoners love an opportunity to correct transport information inaccuracies, don't we?

Bus prices round here are ridiculous, also have the £3 cap. Not so bad if you are making a slightly longer journey but it costs double for my DS to get to college than it would cost for me to drive him there. And there isn't any other public transport option. Still not as bad as the £2 you have to pay to get 2 miles up the road to the secondary school though.

its supposed to recapped at £1 for Childs tickets

so should have cost you £5 to get there and £5 to get back

as `33 capped for you and £1 capped for 2 children

I always think every Londoner should be sent to a random town in the UK and try to figure out and cope with public transport there.
Many would end up in tears.
(I live in London now but am from a midlands town and have spent my whole life using public transport).

Its not, I'm in Manchester and that's the price of ours. It's the bee network

Participating in the £3 bus fare cap is optional for bus co's (as I found out on holiday in Cambridgeshire last Summer).

Single tickets for adults are 2 pounds ( single) 1 pound per child ( single) free under 5s,
You can also get family tickets.
All day bus tickets (any bus) are a fiver.
Manchester area.
My husband is a bus driver 😀

In January, It went up to £3 for a single adult fare.