Bus fare increases 'taking the mick', says MP

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A rise in bus fares across Lancashire is "outrageous" and operator Transdev are "taking the mick", an MP has said.

All-day tickets are rising from £6 to £7.50, while a weekly ticket is increasing from £19 to £25.

Burnley's MP Oliver Ryan has joined his Labour colleague for Hyndburn, Sarah Smith, in writing to the bus company urging it to reconsider.

However, Transdev has defended the changes, insisting that for many they will actually make journeys cheaper and more flexible.

Ryan told BBC Radio Lancashire the increases were "outrageous" and Transdev were "taking the mick".

"If they'd come back with an inflation rise then people would probably live with that," he said. "But this is a 60-odd per cent increase."

He said parents and students had contacted him concerned about the changes and "when people are struggling I've got to do right by my constituents".

Ryan has since launched a petition calling on the bus company to rethink the hikes and to bring forward alternative ticketing options that protect frequent local passengers from higher costs.

A Transdev spokesman said that despite the changes, many customers would pay less for the same journey - notably to and from Manchester.

He added that other new fares would offer greater flexibility across a larger geographical area, with no change in ticket price for customers making a single or return journey.