Dad decries 45% school bus fare hike as operator switch looms

A Coventry-to-Rugby school bus route is switching operators in January, with the term-long fare rising sharply. The 85 route, currently operated by National Express, costs about £165 per term. From January 2, Stagecoach Midlands will operate the service, and fares are set to be £75.60 a month, equating to £302.40 per term under a four month term structure.

Stagecoach Midlands managing director Mark Whitelocks described the price structure, noting the operator offers seven-day Megarider tickets for the Rugby and Daventry area priced at £18.90, allowing travel throughout the zone including Coventry, and he compared this with National Express weekly tickets for Rugby, which currently cost around £22.

Ambi Ambituuni, a father of two whose daughter uses the route, learned of the switch through a parents chat group and calculated that the term cost would rise to £302.40, significantly higher than he has paid before. He said the higher price comes at a time when many families face rising living costs and that Warwickshire County Council should press the operator to price fairly.

He argued that prices should be aligned with what National Express is offering and that Warwickshire County Council, as the contracting authority, should exert pressure on the operator.

Warwickshire County Council confirmed the routes will be operated under contract to the council and that the contract was awarded by competitive tender. The council said it is committed to fulfilling its statutory duties for entitled pupils and cannot subsidise non-entitled pupils. It recommended the seven-day or 28-day Young Person's MegaRider as the most cost-effective option for parents seeking to travel on the new services.

The change illustrates how tendering and subsidies shape school transport costs, with families facing higher prices when routes shift between operators, even as services remain similar.