BUS fares will rise next week.

Brighton and Hove Buses is increasing its £2 city centre fare to £2.20 for the first time in five years on April 25. For those who buy their tickets using the m-ticket mobile phone app, the price will remain at £2.

The company said some 70 per cent of fares are being frozen, including cash fares such as young person’s saver tickets and special single fares, short hops, the main £2.50 city-wide single and the one-day city saver and network saver.

Prices are changing on some out-of-city fares, network savers and longer term city savers. All mobile and key card tickets of between one day and a weekly city savers tickets will stay the same price, as will pay monthly tickets on the key card and Duo, Quattro and Family m-tickets.

The company blamed growing congestion for the review of ticket prices and called on passengers to buy tickets in advance to prevent delays to journeys.

It said the 1.5 per cent increase in revenue from the ticket price rise will help the bus operator maintain the number of bus services which are severely affected by congestion-related delays.

Managing director Martin Harris said the review was “as reasonable as possible”.