Leeds bus users vent their fury after First Bus announces price rises for tickets

First Bus fares are increasing in Leeds and across West Yorkshire from this Sunday.

Most single, day and week ticket prices are being increased with the biggest increase coming in the weekly Leeds ticket.

-> Check out the full list of bus price fare increases for Leeds hereHere is what you said about the bus fare increases:

Steven Neville Bartos Verb said: I stopped getting buses from where I live. They are unreliable, expensive and generally rammed. It's actually better value to drive into the city centre."

Mark Harrison: "And they wonder why overall bus journeys are down across the whole UK. Tramp express. Won't use one."

Shelley Hardwick: "10 to 20p increase still cheap if you consider the price of a taxi"

Joanna Wilk: "Now taxis are definitely cheaper and more reliable option. Thanks first I feel better now"

Mark Everson: "Definately need a large price differential between cash and app. App customers take seconds to board, cash take ages fumbling around and dropping coins. That's one big reason for delays. We should go the way of London and insist on prior purchase whether it's cash or electronic"

Brendon Bremner Sullivan said: "eed to be reduced just back from warsaw bus /tram /underground , way ahead of us"

Kevin Todd: "Everything will go because of the congestion charge expect your food bill to go up when congestion charge comes in as well"

Tom Moore: "Petrol goes up, wages go up, guess what, cost of goods go up, no news here, next"

Daryl Calvert "so will i be guaranteed a seat now at 8 am of a morning or will i have to continue standing for the entire 4 mile journey for this extra fare price???"

Katherine Green said: "What services are they improving? Certainly not any of the buses I catch!"

"They never show up on time, if they even come at all (the amount of times I've been waiting over an hour for one bus to come is ridiculous)

"The buses leak when it rains and break down constantly

"They send out single deckers after work and because half the buses haven't shown up everyone gets that one so there's no space on the bus which means it doesn't stop to pick up more people.

"Buses go out of service if they're late which means you're left stranded. You put some phone charger slots on your buses? That'll help me get to where I need to be on time...."

Mikey Ell said: "Why not use the cycle lanes that everyone is complaining about costing millions.

"Be good for your health too,"

Cristian Fry said: "I think they need to sort out the problem of magical disappearing buses before they can justify a price increase..."

Amy Mchugh said: "Seen as they have increased my weekly ticket by 50p a week which is an extra £26 a year do you think busses will be on time OR actually turn up now?

"ABSOLUTE JOKE. No wonder people are preferring to drive rather than use public transport. It’s not worth the hassle or the grief you get at work for being late, again, because the bus didn’t turn up or was late or the driver sat reading the paper for 15 minutes"

Laura Marian said: "Prices go up but yet busses cant even show up! I waited 35 mins for a bus yesterday at 7:55am!!

"You would think in prime rush hour traffic that busses would show up seen as though people need to get to work on the 9am grind!!!!Absolutely scandalous, council try to deter people from driving into the city center however maybe they should look into sorting out the bus services that way more people would probably get public transport.

"Anyway for those of us who have to rely on busses we will just put up with the shoddy, shambolic services."

What First West Yorkshire said:

"First West Yorkshire is making changes to fares from Sunday 21st October but is continuing to offer customers the best value for money through its mobile ticketing options.

"Most single, day and weekly ticket fares will change and the bus operator is therefore encouraging customers who purchase with cash to check the new prices before they travel, or to switch to purchasing tickets in advance, via the mobile ‘mTickets’ app.

"Data is showing that an increasing number of customers are already purchasing tickets in advance of boarding of the bus, rather than opting to pay with cash. First West Yorkshire introduced new state-of-the-art ticket machines in January 2018, which has enabled customers to pay for their bus tickets in new ways, including via contactless.

Data also shows that boarding with an mTicket is twice as fast in comparison to purchasing a ticket from the driver."

Martin Hirst, Commercial Director, at First West Yorkshire, said: “In order to continue to invest in our bus services for customers we have found it necessary to review our fares.

"We have worked hard to keep any increases to a minimum and we would urge customers who can switch to purchasing tickets via our mTickets app to do so, as this will offer you the most competitive price and will help speed up bus boarding times.”