news story
23rd December 2009
Bus company Reluctant to Cut Fares on Cinema
Service
Local bus company First Bus have told MP Steve Webb that they have no
current plans to
reduce the fare on the late night service which now
calls at the Vue cinema at Cribbs Causeway. The MP had welcomed the
recent re-routing of service 309 which enables bus users in Thornbury
and Alveston to see evening films at the Vue at Cribbs Causeway and
still get home by bus. But he told the company that for young people the
change would have little effect as the cost of a bus ticket still makes
an evening out by public transport prohibitively expensive for many.
Responding to the MP's letter calling for reduced bus fares on the
service, Simon Cursio, Commercial Director of First Bus, said that it
was "too early" for the company to tell how heavily the cinema service
was being used. First Bus are continuing to discuss a concessionary
youth ticket with South Gloucestershire Council, but this would not
apply to young people over the age of 18 who are probably the group most
likely to use a late night cinema service.
Commenting, Steve Webb said:
“I hope that First Bus will quickly look at the usage of the late night
cinema service. My suspicion is that a lower fare could result in a big
increase in take-up of the service. The proposed youth concession that
is being arranged with the Council is welcome, but unlike a young
person's railcard, this will stop at 18. This will exclude a lot of
young people who may have no car and who might be unable to afford to
use the bus if the fare is kept at its present level"
Note:
According to FirstBus, an adult return fare from
Thornbury to Cribbs Causeway is £5.70 whilst the fare for 15s and under
is £4.30. The price of a regular cinema ticket for an evening showing is
currently £7.40, whilst for teenagers aged 13-18 it is £5.90. This means
that a sixteen year-old paying full adult fare will be spending nearly
as much on his or her fare (£5.70) as on cinema admission (£5.90). Even
for adults the cost of the bus fare adds more than 75% to the cost of
the cinema ticket.
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