Service bus users in Shetland face an across-the-board fare increase of 10p for a single from April.
The committee of Shetland’s transport partnership ZetTrans approved the change, which chairman Michael Stout said was “simply an inflationary increase”, at a meeting on Tuesday morning.
Income from the bus service, which encompasses 13 “main line” routes between Lerwick and the north, south and west of the Shetland mainland, is forecast to be £699,000 in this financial year and will rise slightly to £713,000.
The rise in fares will proportionally affect users of Lerwick’s town service the most, with a single rising by nine per cent from £1.10 to £1.20.
In contrast, the 10p rise on the Lerwick-Hillswick route goes up from £3.70 to £3.80 (less than three per cent), while services between the town and both Sumburgh and Walls will rise from £2.80 to £2.90.
Speaking after the meeting, Stout stressed that “this isn’t a specific targeted increase in bus fares, this is simply an inflationary increase”. He appreciated that any increase “might put some people off”, but pointed to a variety of discounts and concessionary rates available.
