Changes to some Falkirk district bus fares from next weekend

However tickets bought on First Midland Bluebird’s mobile ticket app will be frozen at their 2017 price.

All fares under £1.90 will also be held.

The changes will impact most tickets purchased on-bus and through PayPoint, but the bus operator is urging customers to see better value by using mobile ticketing.

First Midland Bluebird reviews its ticket prices annually and considers several factors, including rising business costs and the increasing impact of congestion.

Andrew Jarvis, managing director at First Midland Bluebird, explained: “We need to review our fares each year to ensure we meet the rising costs that we face as a business, but we have worked hard to keep any increases to a minimum.

“Travel by First Midland Bluebird still offers great value for money and we continue to offer a lower price for most tickets purchased via the mTickets app, in comparison to tickets bought from the driver, so that we can speed up boarding times.

“This allows us to improve access to purchase tickets on the go for the increasingly mobile savvy consumer.

“Our Aberdeen operation has seen a significant rise in ‘smart’ payments in recent months, with almost 50 per cent of customers now using a ‘cashless’ method. With Contactless soon to be available in Scotland East, we are working hard to encourage more customers to convert to using mTickets or contactless, as this will have a huge impact on boarding times and will help us in the battle to speed up the bus journeys.”

The company reports that sales of tickets via the First Bus mTickets app have more than doubled over the last year and it is encouraging more customers to switch, to help speed up boarding times.

A one zone weekly ticket bought with cash from the driver will cost £24, however if purchased in advance via the mTickets app, it will be held at £22.30.

The returns fare calculator has also been reduced meaning return and multi-ticket journeys continue to be a great value option for customers.

Two new student tickets have been introduced on the mTicket app to allow students to plan ahead and budget for their travel during term time.

For full details on the changes to First Midland Bluebird fares, please visit www.firstscotlandeast.com