SINGLE fares on Glasgow's Subway will rise by an inflation-busting 17% from next month as its operator seeks to halt a drop in income and a fall in use.
The price of a single ticket on the system will increase from £1.20 to £1.40, as tariffs across the board face a hike for the first time since 2009.
Fares across the six Subway ticket types will go up by 9%, almost three times the rate of inflation, while the cost of a single, which accounts for almost half of all tickets sold, is nearly five times the figure.
A return will rise from £2.40 to £2.60, while a 20-journey ticket will be £22, up from £20.
The Subway's operator, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), is expected on Friday to approve the rise, which it said was in large part due to a drop in user numbers. It attributed this to the slowdown in the wider economy.
The system lost around 120,000 passenger journeys in the past year, with the biggest monthly drops recorded over the busy shopping period of November and December.
SPT said it expected further economic difficulties to hit Subway numbers, meaning prices needed to rise for those who still choose to use the service, to maintain income levels.
The transport body defended the rise by claiming that fares on the network have remained unchanged for the past three years, during which time rail and bus fares have increased in price by 12%.
Meanwhile, fares on bus routes subsidised by SPT will also go up, by 5%, and MyBus or Dial a Bus fares will increase from £2.00 to £2.50.
Malcolm Balfour, Glasgow SNP councillor and SPT partnership member, said the hike could be self-defeating, driving people away from the Subway.
He said: "The proposed increase in Subway fares has the potential to put passengers off using the service. Although perceived as only a 9% increase across the board, it is in real terms a 17% rise on the single adult fare at a time when the public are already finding it hard to make ends meet. In comparison, rail fares are only going up by 1% above inflation. I am concerned that this will have an adverse effect not only on the people who use the Subway on a regular basis but also on visitors to this city in the run up to the Games in 2014, and I will call on SPT to review this increase or at least consider phasing it over time."
In his report to SPT partnership members asking approval for the rise, Eric Stewart, SPT's assistant chief executive, said: "It is also recognised that Subway patronage and revenues may be impacted upon by the current economic climate, and whilst the impact of these factors is difficult to predict, it is vital that the Subway ticketing and fares offering has the flexibility to stimulate the required growth.
"With Subway fares having remained unchanged since 2009, members are recommended to approve a general increase of around 9%. This maintains Subway fares at a level still well below equivalent bus and rail fares. One of the key fundamental aims of Subway modernisation is to reduce subsidy. The review is part of an ongoing process to ensure SPT's Subway ticketing and fares policy provides good value for the travelling public and to the public purse."
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article