IT HAS BEEN confirmed that bus fares in Fermanagh will rise sharply, with the price of a daily ticket in Enniskillen rising by 16%. There are also increases in fares on all other routes within the county, including the popular 261 service to Belfast.
The most striking increase from the prices released this week is the price of a daily ticket for travel in Enniskillen. This will increase from £2.50 to £2.90 on Monday, February 16.
If you have however a daily smartlink card the travel cost can be reduced to £2.30.
The 261 service from Enniskillen to Belfast has also increased with a single increasing by 4.3% from £11.50 to £12.00 and a day return going up in price from £17.50 to £18.50, a percentage hike of 5.7%. Again however Translink insist that if you use iLink (Zone 4) card you can unlimited all day travel on bus and rail for the discounted price of £16.50.
In terms of local travel there are increase on all fares. A single to Derrylin was £4.20, but this is now £4.40, a rise of 4.76% while the return has also increased by 4% from £7.60 to £7.90. If you wish to travel to Lisnaskea or Irvinestown you will also be forced to fork out more change with the single increasing slightly from £3.70 to £3.80 for a single and from £6.70 to £6.80 for a return.
Back in December Translink’s chief executive David Strahan said Ulsterbus fares would go up by an average of 4%, along with increases in the price of train and Belfast bus services. He said at the time fares had been frozen for the past two years and raising fares was ‘always a last resort’.
“However, like many organisations we have seen many of our costs rise and are facing challenging financial pressures in the year ahead,” he said.
“We now have no option but to increase fares across our bus and rail services.”
Local Enniskillen Sinn Fein councillor Debbie Coyle has called for Translink to entice people onto the buses rather than discourage them from using public transport.
“Putting prices up and reducing number of services is not encouraging people. I know they’re losing money in certain areas, but still keep the services going. They need to be thinking outside the box rather than putting up fares.”
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