Tracy Brabin 'disappointed' as MCard bus and rail prices to increase from March

Prices are going for some bus and rail MCards from March 1 following the Government announcing that rail travel fares will rise by 3.8 per cent for 2022/23.

MCards are run by the West Yorkshire Ticketing Company, which is a joint venture between the bus and rail operators of West Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which is overseen by Ms Brabin.

The company's board has agreed not to increase the cost of its bus only MCards and will also freeze prices for weekly and monthly tickets for under 25s.

The changes will see the cost of an adult bus and rail DaySaver increase from £9.20 to £9.50, with a family pass going up from £13.70 to £14.20. A weekly Countywide Bus & Rail Zones 1-3 pass will go up from £32.30 to £33.50, while a monthly pass for those zones will increase from £124.00 to £128.70.

An annual Countywide Bus & Rail Zones 1-3 is to rise from £1,273.70 to £1,332.10.

Ms Brabin said: “I’m disappointed that people in West Yorkshire are going to see another increase in their cost of living.

“This was an opportunity for the Department for Transport to limit the increase or cancel it altogether, but because they went through with it the rail operators – who now work under Government contracts – have had to increase regulated fares and local operator schemes, of which MCard is one.

“If the increase in rail fares brought specific funds into West Yorkshire to improve our rail services I’d understand, but the money raised from West Yorkshire’s passengers will also go to fund improvements elsewhere.

“As we’ve seen from the Integrated Rail Plan and the decision to exclude Yorkshire from the high-speed rail network, we need more decisions such as these taken at a more local level, so that our rail fares go to improve our own rail services and infrastructure.”

A full list of the new MCard prices from 1 March 2022 can be found on the MCard website.

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