Fares reduced on Island bus route

"following a study commissioned by parent company, the Go Ahead Group, which highlighted the fares were expensive" - REALLY? I could have told them that for nothing
"The new fare is designed to see if lower prices encourage more people to travel by bus" - Oh i wonder Sherlock??!

A time limited route specific pilot will not boost passenger numbers, just provide more recent evidence for SV's excessive bus fares as people require time to change habits and build trust in a company. Until they offer long term value for money return fares I will continue to use my car and taxis.

Southern Vectis bus fares have always been high - long before the bus pass scheme was started.

Pointless comment Paul, we are not in London, we are here, so don`t confuse the issue of social problems with bus fare?, they are simply too expensive and people don`t use them because of that reason. Make them more affordable (on more than half a route) and we will use public...PUBLIC...transport

With reference to my last comment 90PER CENT of passengers had bus passes.

You are right S Muston. I left the Island in 1992 for University in London, and I can tell you that my amazing experiences on the W3 bus from Tottenham to Alexandra Palace - costing literally pence - meant that I vowed never to return. I must admit, Tottenham has its share of problems (riots, stabbings, shootings, drugs, gangs) etc but the efficiency of the W3 (and other bus routes) is a massive draw and has meant I have lived there ever since. I for one will never return to the bucolic splendour of the IOW whilst the transport system is so overpriced.

yvonne, surely you cant blame southern vectis just because your son wasnt available to pick you up. where was he ? up to no good i shouldnt wonder ?. its all too familiar to see people preying on the easy target in order to deflect from the failings of their nearest and dearest

LYMINGTON to SOUTHAMPTON journey time 75 minutes each way return total cost 7POUNDSand50 PENCE. NEWPORT toRYDE journey time 25 minutes each way 3POUNDSand50PENCE. NO RETURN TICKETS. SO TOTAL COST ON S/VECTIS for a 50 minute journey 7POUNDS.???!!!

I totally agree that the fares are far too high for bus travel. My husband and I got the bus from the Red jet to Hunnyhill off peak hours costing £3.50 each one way, then a walk up Sylvan Drive as my son was not available to pick us up, I am sure a taxi would have been cheaper and taken us to our front door. As for the student rider don,t get me started its no wonder kids on the island want to drive as soon as they are 17.

I hope Southern Vectis read these comments and take note of how much their incredibly greedy fares impact everyone on the island. It's no wonder kids leave the island to go to university and never come back, because they get a taste of real public transport services on the mainland. Wake up SV and RF etc, with great power comes great responsibility - why not use that and do something good for this island for a change. We are the laughing stock of the UK when it comes to transport. What mugs we must be.

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.