Concession bus prices in Sheffield are to increase from 1 November following government funding cuts.
Tickets for under 18s, and tickets for over 21s purchased with a zoom card are 80p per single, giving South Yorkshire one of the lowest fares nationally for under 18s, and the lowest fares nationally for those up to 21.
Childrens’ tickets are set to rise from 80p to £1 and adults’ tickets are to rise to £2.
Following its introduction in June 2021, over 35,000 young people have applied for one.
Youth activists in Sheffield have created a petition to save the concession scheme, which currently has over 2,500 signatures.
Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard labelled the cuts ‘a disgrace’ after the region had been faced with a 50% cut of local bus funding from the Department of Transport.
Due to the cuts, the prices need to rise to ensure more funding now gets invested into the public transport system.
Isobel Grundy, 19, a hospitality worker, said: “The price rise is extremely irritating.
“I live in Rotherham but work in Sheffield city centre, so I rely so heavily on the buses. Taxis aren’t really an option for me, as sometimes when I finish work they can be up to £27, and I can’t really afford that regularly as a young person.”
She added: “It’s hard enough that they’re sometimes late, so a price rise as well will definitely put me at a disadvantage.”
