Tram fares hike for Hucknall and Bulwell passengers

Nottingham Express Transit (NET) which runs the trams, say the price hike is needed to cover its soaring energy costs, coupled with the drop-off in passenger numbers caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen tram usage drop by around 30 per cent as more people continue to opt for hybrid working and work more from home and travel less frequently to the office.

The new prices have seen single journey fares rise by 20p to £2.70.

Day tickets are up 30p, weekly tickets are £1 dearer and monthly tickets are now £5 more expensive.

Andrew Conroy, chief operating officer at NET said in a statement: “The fare changes are relatively small and we continue to offer competitive fares and a low-cost, low-carbon public transport option for millions of people.

"There are rises in energy costs and so we have to put our costs up.

"That, along with Covid, has impacted us massively and we are at about 70 per cent of our pre-Covid levels."

As well as drop-off in numbers, a rise in fare dodging has also hit NET’s finances an led to a recent announcement of a strong crackdown on fare dodgers.

Mr Conroy continued: “For every person who doesn't pay when they travel, that's £2.50 we've been missing out on.”

"We've received a lot of support from local politicians, businesses and the public since announcing we are cracking down on people who don't pay for their fare."