A combination of the Covid 19 pandemic and the requirements of the National Bus Strategy has led to a decision by TAS to delay the biennial National Fares Survey for a year. TAS said that the requirement to freeze fares, built into the Covid-19 support packages for operators, has meant that very few fares changes will have been made since the 2019 National Fares Survey, and that operators are currently busy engaged in working with their Local Transport Authorities to meet the requirements of the National Bus Strategy.
The survey will be postponed until October 2022, when TAS hopes that it will provide ‘an interesting first glimpse’ into the impact of Enhanced Partnerships and franchising on fares levels and multi-operator tickets, as well as the impact of post-Covid patronage recovery.
