SOME bus fares will rise from Monday, January 15.

Brighton and Hove Buses insists it has tried to keep price increases as low as possible.

It will also freeze cash and contactless bus fares.

The cost of some longer-term tickets – for 28 days, 90 days or annual – will increase by between 10p and 14p per day.

For example, the adult 28-day Network Saver will rise from £79 to £83, an increase of £1 per week.

The adult 90-day Network Saver goes up from £210 to £222, also a rise of £1 a week.

There will be an increase to cash and contactless fares for journeys outside the city.

Singles will increase by 10p or less and returns will go up by between 10p and 20p.

Returns from Brighton to Lewes, Newhaven and Seaford will be frozen.

Some ticket prices have dropped.

Duo tickets, where up to two people can travel, will cost £8 for a City Saver (down 20p), while the Network Saver goes down by 20p to £8.40.

Quattro tickets, where up to four people can travel, fall from £7 to £6.

Conventional, one-day tickets become 24-hour tickets, which will help many people save where they tend to buy tickets later in the day.

Frozen fares include city single, short hop, centrefare, Network Saver and City Saver adult tickets.

This also applies to family tickets and the young persons’ accompanied BusID and BusID fares for children travelling on the weekends, holidays or school day evenings.

Brighton and Hove Buses managing director Martin Harris said he had tried to freeze or reduce as many bus fares as possible but increases on some fares could not be avoided.

He said: “I do understand that any sort of fare increase can be unwelcome but we’ve frozen many fares, reduced some and only marginally increased others, from a genuine desire to balance the need for ongoing investment and match the costs of the business with the pressure on people’s budgets.

“Great news for commuters is that they can now get a 20 per cent discount when buying an annual pass through the East Sussex Credit Union affordable payment plan, previously a ten per cent discount.

“Our community deals won’t change, including discounts for carers and compass card holders, family offers and our 4 Work Saver, that provides a free travel start for new employees of local businesses.

“We’ve responded to demand and introduced some new mobile tickets, including a four-day student ticket and a four-day adult ticket.”