CUSTOMERS of First Midland Bluebird buses will see an increase in some of their fares, with new tarrifs implemented on Sunday, January 21.

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

Tickets bought on its app will be frozen at their 2017 price, while fares under £1.90 will also be held.

First Midland Bluebird said that sales of tickets via the First Bus mTickets app have more than doubled over the last year and the company are encouraging more customers to switch, to help speed up boarding times.

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.

The local bus operator said it reviews its ticket prices annually and considers several factors, including rising business costs and the increasing impact of congestion. 

It will also be launching contactless payments across the network.

Andrew Jarvis, managing director at First Midland Bluebird, said: “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 bus 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.”

For full details on the changes to First Midland Bluebird fares, please visit the website.