An increase in ticket prices for multi-operator services such as the Saveaway are “not easy” but are “better than it could be” according to Liverpool City Region ’s transport chief.
A 6% increase in prices for tickets that can be used across Merseyside on more than one mode and operator was signed off by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s (LCRCA) transport committee last week. This means products including the Saveaway, Railpass and Trio for train services will cost more from January 3.
A standard adult one area Saveaway ticket will go up from £4.30 to £4.60. Cllr Liam Robinson, chair of the transport committee, told the ECHO that “on balance” the price rises were justified but acknowledged the difficulties faced with any proposed increase.
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The Merseytravel Multi-Operator Ticketing Scheme is a ticketing scheme owned by the combined authority and administered by Merseytravel as the executive body responsible for delivering public transport services on its behalf. The scheme ensures there is a ticketing offer that can be used on more than one operator and mode, such as an Arriva bus and Merseyrail train.
The ticketing scheme delivers the Trio, Railpass, Saveaway, Solo and MyTicket options to users across Merseyside. All but the Solo and MyTicket products will increase in January, pending approval, with further negotiations around any possible rise around those two.
Term-Time and school year tickets prices would increase from August. Cllr Robinson said: “Whenever we're looking at ticket prices, having any sort of increase is difficult.
“We always know it’s tough on household budgets particularly with the cost of living crisis, we appreciate all of that. The difficult bit we have to balance is the day to day costs of running the railway are going up.”
The 6% rise is below the retail price index (RPI) of 12% and Cllr Robinson said Merseyrail could have proposed a full rate increase under the terms of their contract. He added: “Since 2003, it’s broadly been good because RPI has been at a lower level and compared to other rail fares in other parts of the country, which are effectively determined by the Secretary of State, in most years their prices have been RPI plus a few percentage points.”
Cllr Robinson also admitted that fares for rail services were hitting people in the pocket. He said: “I’d never say Merseyrail fares are cheap because I know for some people it’s a stretch, but they’re cheaper than what you’d be charged by Northern rail or someone else.
“If Merseyrail wanted to, they could do that, but we’ve used our influence to get a 6% rise, which is half the RPI and I appreciate it’s difficult but it’s the first time since Merseyrail has been devolved to us that they’ve put forward a fares increase that is less than inflation. Obviously the way we set the multi modal ticketing price structure, it’s not technically a compulsory scheme so we have to negotiate with the train and bus companies.
“Us doing something not in line with what Merseyrail were proposing would have been really difficult in terms of how we proportion money that gets reallocated. We feel on balance, it’s not easy but it’s better than it could be.”
Prepaid ticketing products generated £36.7m in ticket sales for Merseytravel during 2019/20, the last full year before the coronavirus pandemic hit. That income is repaid to transport operators across the region on an agreed apportionment model, with all scheme costs met by Merseytravel.
It is anticipated the ticket increase could generate an estimated £30k additional income per annum for Mersey Ferries and supported bus services.
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