First Bus changes rolled out across Bristol for 2022: All the new ticket prices and options

Bus tickets for travel around Bristol have changed after First announced a major overhaul of its services for 2022.

The catalogue of changes include tweaks to the First Bus app and Tap & Cap, along with the introduction of ‘Two trip’ tickets, ticket bundles and cheaper local fares for specific areas such as Clevedon and Nailsea.

The bus chain says the overhaul aims to ensure that passengers never have to pay more for travel than needed.

Here’s what’s new.

‘2-trip’ ticket

First Bus has introduced a 2-trip ticket after finding that 70% of customers who buy a Day ticket catch two buses. The ticket acts like a return ticket, except where you are traveling within one of First’s flat fare zones (either the Bath, Bristol or Weston Zone), you can take your second trip on any other service.

When using a 2-Trip ticket bought on the bus, you can scan your ticket for the second trip as long as it’s by 4.29am the following morning. When using a 2-Trip mTicket bought on the First Bus app, you’ll receive two single tickets that must be activated within 24 hours of purchase.

Prices: £4.30 (Adult), £2.90 (16-21 Student), £2.10 (Child under 15)

Day ticket bundles

The new Day Ticket bundle, available through the First Bus app exclusively, aims to provide flexibility for passengers who for example might need three days’ travel in a week or only use the bus Monday to Friday. You just activate the ticket on the day you need it and use your journeys up before the bundle expires.

Prices: (Three days’ travel in 10 days): Adult: £14.50, Student: £3.40, Child: £2.43, (Five days’ travel in 10 days): Adult: £19.50, Student: £13.70, Child: £9.80), (Six days’ travel in 20 days): Adult: £27, Student: £18.90, Child: £13.50

For a full list of bundle prices, click here.

Cheaper local tickets

Frist Bus is introducing new single tickets in Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead to add to those they already offer in Frome, Thornbury and Yate.

Prices: Adult: £1.50, Student: £1.10, Child: 80p

To see what stops fall within the Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead zones, click here.

Changes to the app

Savings were to be had when using the First Bus app to buy tickets previously. But in an interesting move by the bus chain, passengers will now pay the same price whether buying their ticket through the app or on the bus directly.

Changes to Tap & Cap

The weekly cap will now run from Monday to Sunday and First Bus will also cap the cost of two trips at the new 2-Trip fare. Tap & Cap uses contactless payments to cap adult bus fares so passengers never pay more than £5.30 a day or £23 per week, no matter how many journeys they make.

Prices (daily): 1 tap - £2.20, 2 taps - £4.30, 3 or more taps - £5.30

All these changes came into affect on Sunday, January 23.