A recent uproar has emerged surrounding a significant fare hike for a popular school bus service that runs between Coventry and Rugby. Ambi Ambituuni, a concerned father of two, has publicly expressed his discontent regarding the operator’s decision to increase fares by 45%. This hefty raise has raised alarms among parents, prompting Ambituuni to advocate for a reassessment of the pricing by the new operator, Stagecoach.
Currently, Ambituuni’s daughter takes the 85 bus, which is managed by National Express, to travel from their home in Coventry to her school in Rugby. The cost for this service is approximately £165 per term. However, come January 1, Stagecoach will take over this route, and the fares are slated to climb to £75.60 a month. This translates to a staggering increase, amounting to £302.40 over a term. The fare hike comes at a precarious time when many families are already grappling with financial strain due to rising living costs.
Ambi Ambituuni discovered this fare change through a discussion within a parent group chat, which led him to examine the implications for his family’s budget. “It is a substantial amount, especially given the cost of living pressure right now on parents and guardians,” Ambituuni commented, noting that many families might face similar financial burdens come January 2026 when the new fare system is implemented.
The 85 bus is highly utilized, serving not just Ambituuni’s daughter but also providing transport for students from three different schools in Rugby. The increased expenditures due to the fare hike are bound to affect numerous families relying on this route, prompting Ambituuni to call on both Stagecoach and Warwickshire County Council to reassess their pricing strategy. “I think they need to look at the pricing again,” he stated. He emphasized the need for fares to be comparable to those previously offered by National Express.
Ambituuni suggests that Warwickshire County Council has a role to play in pressuring Stagecoach to keep the fare in line with past prices. As the authority responsible for awarding the transport contract to Stagecoach, the council’s influence could be crucial in addressing the fare increase. Still, as of now, feedback from the local authority or Stagecoach has not been made public, leaving many parents in a state of uncertainty.
The situation reflects broader issues facing families today, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise in various sectors. Increased transportation costs can lead to difficulties in budgeting for families already stretched thin by rising grocery and housing prices. It raises questions about access to education and the equitable treatment of students who depend on public transport to reach their schools.
As the date for the fare adjustment approaches in January 2026, parents and community members are left awaiting responses from the respective authorities. The hope is that conversations around fare adjustments become more transparent and that stakeholders consider the financial well-being of families in making such decisions.
Ambi Ambituuni’s concerns echo sentiments that many parents share and highlight the need for careful consideration of how changes in public transport can disproportionately impact families trying to navigate the education system amidst economic difficulties. His advocacy for fairness and transparency in service pricing is a call to action for authorities to reconsider how they support families within their communities, setting a precedent for collaborative discussions between operators, authorities, and parents on matters impacting children’s access to education.
