#swansea-public-transport — Public Fediverse posts

Free bus rides return for Easter as Swansea families urged to “leave the car at home”

Council leader Rob Stewart confirmed the scheme will run across eight days during the school holidays, starting from March 28.

The move follows previous schemes that have already seen more than one million free journeys taken in Swansea.

£450,000 set aside

The council has earmarked £450,000 from this year’s budget to fund not just the Easter offer – but free buses again in the summer and Christmas holidays too.

That means families could continue to benefit from the scheme throughout the year.

Save up to £20 a trip

Rob Stewart said the initiative is designed to ease the pressure on household budgets during what can be an expensive time.

He said families could save up to £20 per trip, encouraging people to ditch the car and spend that money elsewhere instead.

Cllr Stewart said: “Since we launched the offer people have enjoyed more than 1m free bus rides.

“Easter can be an expensive time for everyone but we’re committed to ensuring families in Swansea can save a bit of money on travel costs, leave the car at home and save their petrol money to spend on other things, saving up to £20 a time for family of four.

“The city centre is a great shopping destination in itself for people wanting to take a free trip. But it is also about giving the public the chance to travel all across Swansea, whether it’s to visit family members or just enjoy to what Swansea has to offer.”

Cutting traffic and boosting buses

Cabinet member Andrew Stevens said the scheme also aims to get more people onto public transport.

He added that many residents still rely on cars – and the free travel offer is a chance to get them trying buses for the first time, while also helping reduce congestion on local roads.

“It’s important we support public transport operators in Swansea and do what we can to increase passenger numbers.” Cllr Stevens said.

When are buses free?

Free travel will be available on:

• Saturday 28 March
• Sunday 29 March
• Friday 3 April (Good Friday)
• Saturday 4 April
• Sunday 5 April (Easter Sunday)
• Monday 6 April (Easter Monday)
• Saturday 11 April
• Sunday 12 April 

Back again after popular demand

The Easter scheme builds on previous free bus initiatives covered by Swansea Bay News, which proved hugely popular with residents looking to cut costs and explore the city without worrying about fares.

With another school holiday around the corner, council bosses are now hoping even more people will jump on board.

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#CllrRobStewart #Easter #freeBus #publicTransport #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaPublicTransport

Bus fares to rise across South West Wales as First Cymru confirms new price increases

The changes take effect from Sunday, March 29, affecting services across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Bridgend, the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff, while Pembrokeshire will continue to operate under a separate fare structure.

Under the new prices, a single ticket bought from the driver will rise from £3.00 to £3.10, while a return will increase from £5.70 to £5.90. Day tickets will climb from £7.00 to £7.30, with weekly passes rising from £25.00 to £26.30 and monthly tickets increasing from £80 to £84.

First Cymru says the changes are part of a regular fare review aimed at balancing rising operating costs while continuing to invest in services.

Passengers using the company’s Tap On, Tap Off system will also see small changes depending on how far they travel. The distance-based system was introduced in 2024 when the operator rolled out new Tap On, Tap Off payment technology across its network as part of a wider overhaul of fares and ticketing.

That shake-up also triggered criticism at the time after some ticket prices jumped sharply. Early changes to the pricing structure saw the cost of some day tickets rise by more than 40%, prompting complaints from passengers when bus users hit back at the price rises.

Under the Tap On, Tap Off system, fares vary depending on the distance travelled, with longer journeys capped. From March 29 that cap will remain £3.10 for a single journey and £5.90 for a return.

Pembrokeshire services follow a slightly different mileage-based structure, with lower starting fares for very short journeys but increases still being applied across most distance bands.

Despite the changes for adult passengers, fares for children and young people using the My Travel Pass scheme will remain unchanged. Single journeys will continue to cost £1, returns £2, and day tickets £3.

Main First Cymru fares (from 29 March 2026)

Ticket TypeCurrent PricePrice from 29 MarchSingle (on-board)£3.00£3.10Return (on-board)£5.70£5.90Day Ticket£7.00£7.303 Day£17.50£18.205 Day£22.80£23.703 in 7£17.50£18.205 in 7£22.80£23.7020 in 40£80.00£84.005 in 30£28.00£29.20Week£25.00£26.30Month£80.00£84.00Group£17.50£18.20

Tap On, Tap Off adult fares (distance-based)

DistanceCurrent SingleNew SingleCurrent ReturnNew Return0–1 miles£1.60£1.70£3.04£3.231–2 miles£1.90£2.00£3.61£3.802–3 miles£2.20£2.30£4.18£4.373–4 miles£2.50£2.60£4.75£4.944–5 miles£2.80£2.90£5.32£5.51Over 5 miles£3.00£3.10£5.70£5.90

Tap On, Tap Off fare caps

TicketCurrent PricePrice from 29 MarchDaily cap£7.00£7.302 Day£14.00£14.503 Day£17.50£18.204 Day£21.00£21.805 Day£22.80£23.706 Day£24.40£25.307 Day£25.00£26.30

Pembrokeshire Tap On, Tap Off fares (from 29 March)

DistanceCurrent SingleNew SingleCurrent ReturnNew Return0–1 miles£1.20£1.30£2.28£2.471–2 miles£1.50£1.60£2.85£3.042–3 miles£1.80£1.90£3.42£3.613–4 miles£2.00£2.10£3.80£3.994–5 miles£2.10£2.20£3.99£4.185–6 miles£2.50£2.60£4.75£4.946–7 miles£2.60£2.70£4.94£5.137–8 miles£2.90£3.00£5.51£5.708+ miles£3.00£3.10£5.70£5.89

Children and My Travel Pass fares (unchanged)

TicketPriceSingle£1Return£2Day£3

The latest fare review comes after a turbulent period for the bus operator. In late 2025, drivers and engineering staff staged a series of walkouts as pay talks broke down, causing disruption across the region before unions eventually secured a new deal that was hailed as a major pay win for First Cymru drivers.

The agreement delivered a 5% increase backdated to April, along with staged rises that will see drivers’ pay reach £15 an hour by 2027.

First Cymru says passengers can still ensure they are charged the cheapest available fare by using Tap On, Tap Off when boarding and leaving the bus.

The new fares will apply across the operator’s network from March 29.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Bus users hit back as First Cymru raises day ticket prices by over 40%
Passengers say the sharp rise lands at the worst possible time.

First Cymru announces more service changes and new tap‑on, tap‑off tech
A major shake‑up to routes and payments as the operator modernises.

First Cymru bus drivers secure pay win hailed as union victory
A breakthrough deal ends uncertainty for hundreds of staff.

Free buses return to Swansea for Easter holidays
A boost for families as the council brings back its money‑saving travel offer.

More transport stories
The latest updates on buses, rail and travel across our region.

#busFaresWales #CarmarthenshireBuses #FirstCymru #NeathPortTalbotBuses #PembrokeshireBuses #SouthWestWalesTransport #SwanseaBuses #SwanseaPublicTransport