Fife bus operator hikes fares by 10% and scraps NHS carer passes

A Fife bus operator has hiked its fares by about 10% – and scrapped NHS carer passes on its services.

Moffat and Williamson introduced the rise in fares at the start of last week.

Posters advertising the changes have been put up at some bus stops and on board services, but the company has not made any public announcement elsewhere.

The company – which also serves Dundee – has blamed rising wages and national insurance contributions, along with “other associated costs”, for having to put its fares up.

Moffat and Williamson says it has ‘no choice’ over fares rise

The poster says: “We have no choice but to significantly increase the fares on the services to correspond with other companies in the area.

“We have reluctantly made the decision to increase the fares across all services by around 10%.

“This will be rounded up to the nearest 10 pence in the pound.

“All NHS carer passes will no longer be accepted from April 28 and therefore a valid ticket to travel must be purchased on all Moffat and Williamson services.”

The company previously boasted about becoming one of the first bus firms in Scotland to offer free transport to NHS staff.

However, in September last year, Moffat and Williamson claimed the introduction of Dundee’s low emission zone had contributed to a substantial loss in its annual accounts.

The operator had recorded a pre-tax loss of £255,127 for the financial year up to November 2023.

The Courier has approached Moffat and Williamson on multiple occasions for comment on its fares rise, but so far, the company has failed to respond.

The move comes after both Stagecoach and Xplore Dundee also raised their fares earlier this month.