New ?Bath Outer? Bus Zone To Cut The Cost of Travel For Many

People travelling by bus within 12 miles of Bath city centre will be able to access cheaper bus fares from Sunday 2 November as First West of England is introducing an all new range of Bath Outer Zone tickets.

The move – which will benefit residents of Bradford-on-Avon, Chippenham, Frome, Melksham, Midsomer Norton, Paulton, Peasedown St John, Radstock and Trowbridge - follows the creation of new Bath Outer zone, covering an area that's approximately 12 miles from Bath city centre in all directions.  

This is good news for passengers. Since the changes to the fare structure were made in July people travelling in and around Bath from nearby external areas, have had the option to buy either a Bristol Outer Zone ticket (which offers unlimited travel 12 miles from Bristol Bus Station: which is most suited for those who wish to travel from the centre of Bristol to Bath Bus station) or a First West of England zone ticket (offering unlimited travel across the West Country, including all of Bath, Bristol, Weston-super-Mare and Wells). The company has since recognised though that there is scope for a ticket which covers travel within a commutable distance from Bath, which would most appeal to people who live and travel within a 12 mile radius of the city.

From Sunday the 2nd of November bus users shall be able to buy day, week, month, year and 10 journey tickets for travel in the Bath Outer Zone, and  this harbours the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of travel for many. These new tickets will offer unlimited travel in Bath city centre and for travel on First buses within approximately 12 miles of Bath Bus Station.

Specifically, an adult visiting bath from Chippenham, Midsomer Norton, Radstock or Frome, who currently buys a FirstYear West of England ticket, will be able to save £210 a year, while monthly or weekly ticket holders will also have the chance to save £16 or £3 respectively. Children, young people and students (with valid photo ID) can also save money on the cost of travel as well.
Also there will be savings for the infrequent traveller as well. They will have the option to buy  FirstDay Bath Outer zone tickets - which offer unlimited travel for one day in and around Bath  - or 10 Journey Bath Outer zone tickets -  which will offer 10 single journeys valid for use within three months of the date of issue. With the latter, people making journeys of between three and 12 miles could save up to £21 compared to the cost of buying 10 individual single tickets.

Talking about the changes, First West of England's General Manager, Jonathan Barnard, says: “This is good news for bus users in and around Bath. The introduction of this new ticket will make commuting to and from Bath from the outlying areas cheaper, and therefore more attractive.

“Children and young people will continue to enjoy discounts off the adult prices too, which means that they too will benefit from the introduction of this new zone.

“The feedback we’ve had on this already is positive. It offers even more parity with the fare structure on the outskirts of Bristol, and it is something that stands to benefit a great number of people travelling to and from Bath for work, school and leisure opportunities.

To view the map of the new Bath Outer zone, showing the boundary points for the ticket, log onto: www.firstgroup.com/bath (under tickets / bath area).