Wightbus - Subsidised Fares

Subsidised Fares

Students under the age of 19, in full time education on the Isle of Wight previously received discount fares through a "Student Rider" scheme. Initially, students could pay 50p for a single journey on any of the Island's buses or trains anywhere, at any time. This included through journeys where all buses are run solely by one company, either Wightbus or Southern Vectis. However this was later increased to £1 per journey, and later £1.20 after the unprecedented success of the scheme lead to the Isle of Wight Council being unable to continue the same level of support. In July 2010 after cuts in funding from central government to local authorities nationwide, it was recommended that the scheme should be axed. Protests were launched on the day of the meeting with over 100 students demonstrating outside County Hall. Despite this, the council still voted to scrap the scheme from September.

Anyone with an over 60 or disability bus pass, is able to travel on the Island's buses for free, under the Government's scheme. These subsidised fares resulted in a boom in passengers using the buses.