Why are the bus fares for travelling inside the Newhaven area the same as a journey into Brighton?

I live and work in Newhaven yet a single journey costs me £1.70 for six stops, the same cost as a single journey into Brighton. I have asked for a Newhaven return, which is the same price as a single ticket, yet I am told that I can't have this ticket until after 9am. A fat lot of good that is when I have to start work at 8.30am.

It's costing me £3.40 a day to travel to work and back - that's £17 a week. Drivers tell me I can buy a weekly ticket for £13, which will allow me to travel all the way into Brighton and back.

That's of no benefit to me.

Surely Brighton and Hove Bus Company could introduce a weekly ticket of say £10 a week that allows passengers to make short journeys only. It would still make a profit.

With the credit crunch and the cost of living increasing I am looking at ways to save money.

It looks like the only way I am actually going to save money is to buy a pair of trainers and a waterproof jacket and start walking into work each day.

The Government is encouraging us to use public transport and not rely on our cars, but what incentive do we have when we are being charged these prices?

  • Paula Ireland, Hawthorn Rise, Newhaven