Public Transport: Tickets and Discounts

Choosing the most appropriate ticket option for a journey by public transport isn’t always easy. The best ticket to choose will depend upon how you are travelling, where from, and how frequently.

What is for sure, however, is that unless your journey is one off or infrequent, paying for single or return tickets on the day could be wasting you a lot of money. There are a wide range of ticket options available which can dramatically reduce the cost of public transport journeys made, so make sure you have checked out your options. To help out we have provided some useful pointers below:

Just Travelling By Bus?

If your journey by public transport involves only using the bus, then it is best to consider the following:

  • If you only use one bus operator (e.g. First Bus, or Arriva), you are likely to be best to explore the range of operator specific tickets they offer (including weekly, monthly, annual or flexible passes). Visit their website for further details;
  • If you regularly use different bus operators a bus only MCard could be the best solution for you. MCards can be used on any bus across West Yorkshire, providing maximum flexibility.

Travelling By Bus and Train?

Check out the bus and rail MCard offered by Metro. These passes can be used on any bus within West Yorkshire, but can also be used to travel on trains. Simply choose which rail travel zone you need a pass for, and enjoy the flexibility of switching between trains and buses as often as you like.

Just Travelling By Train?

If your regular train journey is within West Yorkshire, it could still pay to buy an MCard. You may not use the bus element of the pass, but that doesn’t mean you won’t save on the train journeys alone.

It is also possible to buy rail season tickets if you undertake a regular journey between the same two stations. National Rail provide an easy to use Season Ticket Calculator to help you work out how much a ticket would cost, and how much you could save.

If you’re travelling between 2-3 days per week and need a little extra flexibility, new Flexi Season Tickets allow you to travel 8 days in 28, working out at 2 per week. The Flexi Season Ticket will offer a minimum of 20% discount on an equivalent Monthly Season ticket, so definitely worth looking into if you know you’re going to be splitting your time between home and the office.

For less frequent journeys, be sure to try and book your journey in advance. Unlike bus tickets, train fares can vary depending upon the point at which you buy your ticket. Buying tickets in advance, especially on longer journeys, can save you some serious cash.

Explore Further Ways to Save

Think you’ve saved all you can by picking an annual pass. Think again! There are a number of ways that you can save even more money.

  • Corporate MCard Scheme: Through the Corporate MCard scheme employers who have joined the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network can provide staff with a saving of 12% on the cost of an annual MCard;
  • First Commuter Travel Club: You can save up to 12.5% on monthly bus tickets through the First Commuter Travel Club;
  • Arriva Employer Travel Club: Spread the costs of an annual ticket with a monthly direct debit to save even more on your bus travel;
  • Northern Rail Corporate Season Tickets: Through this scheme your employer can allow you to access 12-weeks of free rail travel each year, between your two chosen stations.