Fuel costs force bus fares rise

Rising fuel prices have forced a Sussex bus company to increase its fares for the second time within six months.

Passengers using the service around Brighton and Hove must now pay 10p more for a single fare, while a day saver now costs 30p more at £3.50.

Roger French, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, said it just could not sustain the 25p a litre rise in fuel over the past year.

He said it was regrettable that it had to be passed on to passengers.

"The jury is out on whether our passengers prefer small increases more often or large increases less often.

"We're hedging our bets on it and trying to take a mid-course of medium increases maybe probably every six to nine months while we're under this pressure of fuel prices," he said.