2.6% bus fare hike to kick in from April 1

Fare changes on Translink’s Metro/Glider, NI Railways and Ulsterbus services will kick in from Monday, April 1. Translink said the rise was in line with the retail price index (RPI).

Chris Conway, Translink Chief Executive said: “We are urging passengers to check their fare options before they travel and look for the best deals such as the range of Metro and Ulsterbus Multi-journey Smartlink cards offering around 25 per cent saving off the cash fare.

“Other options like weekly and monthly tickets offer great value for rail commuters while we also have a range of special discounts available for leisure markets with 1/3rd off Ulsterbus, Goldline and rail fares and special family tickets.

Richard Williams, Head of Transport at The Consumer Council said: “This increase broadly compares with recent average bus fare increases of 4.6 per cent in England, 5.3 per cent in Scotland and 2.5 per cent in Wales, and average rail ticket increases in England and Wales of 3.1 per cent, and Scotland of 2.8 per cent.

"We would ask all Translink passengers to actively check fare boards at stations and on bus/trains, to see the specific impact this fare increase will have on their individual ticket, as certain journeys may increase by more or less than the average 2.6 per cent.”