Dad questions 45% bus fare hike after Coventry-to-Rugby route switches to Stagecoach

A Coventry-to-Rugby school bus route will switch operators in January, and a Coventry parent says the change could push his daughter's termly fare up by about 45%. The route, served by the 85 bus and previously operated by National Express, is transitioning to Stagecoach Midlands as part of a competitive tender process that determines both who runs the service and the fares that apply. The delta in price highlighted by Ambi Ambituuni, who uses the service for his daughter who attends one of three Rugby-area schools, underscores the financial pressures families face when transport contracts switch hands.

Ambituuni said the change would lift his daughter’s termly outlay from about £165 to roughly £302.40. He described the difference as substantial, especially given the cost-of-living pressures families face. “It is a substantial amount, especially given the cost of living pressure right now on parents and guardians and I know it will be an issue many will be facing come January 2026,” he said. He added that the pricing should be comparable to what National Express offers: “It should be like for like with what National Express is offering. I think that they should offer prices that are comparable. I think that Warwickshire County Council needs to put pressure on the operator given that they are the ones that offered the contract to the operator.”

Under Stagecoach’s pricing model, the fares for the route would be set on a monthly basis rather than termly. Ambituuni noted that the monthly fare would be about £75.60, which equates to £302.40 per term, a 45% increase over the current £165 per term for the same route. Stagecoach Midlands says its best-value option for young people under 19 is the seven-day Rugby & Daventry Megarider ticket, priced at £18.90, which allows travel throughout the Stagecoach zone and includes travel to and around Coventry. “These tickets allow travel throughout the zone on Stagecoach buses and includes travel to and around Coventry,” said Mark Whitelocks, managing director of Stagecoach Midlands. “This compares to the current National Express weekly ticket of £22 for the NX Outer Zone - Rugby.”

The route Ambituuni’s daughter uses serves three Rugby schools, and he wants Warwickshire County Council and Stagecoach to consider the real-world impact of the fare increase. He argued the council should press the operator to offer pricing aligned with National Express’s offerings for comparable routes. “It should be like-for-like with what National Express is offering,” he said. “I think that they should offer prices that are comparable. I think that Warwickshire County Council needs to put pressure on the operator given that they are the ones that offered the contract to the operator.”

A Warwickshire County Council spokesperson confirmed that the routes to be run by a new operator from January are subsidised services under contract to the council. The contract for these services was awarded by competitive tender, and bus operators bid for the contract on the basis that their locally established commercial fares would apply. The council added that it is fully committed to discharging its statutory responsibilities for school transport to pupils living in Warwickshire who are entitled to transport assistance and that the authority is not in a position to subsidise non-entitled pupils. For parents seeking travel on the new services, the council recommended looking at the seven-day, or the 28-day, Young Person’s MegaRider ticket covering the relevant area as the most cost-effective option.