BUS passengers face a hike in ticket prices after McGill’s announced it is to increase fares by five per cent.

From Monday, July 15, customers in East Renfrewshire who use the company’s number 3 and 51 services will be asked to fork out more.

The company has blamed an increase in staff wages and business costs for the price hikes, which come after McGill’s first “full fare review” in two years.

Passengers who buy XP day, weekly and monthly tickets will be unaffected by the new price structure.

Ralph Roberts, McGill’s managing director, said: “Due to increased business costs, we have had to implement our first full fare review in two years.

“While our XP services will be unaffected by the review, users of other services will notice an increase of approximately five per cent.

“This year, we have seen large increases in staffing, fuel and insurance costs, which are reflected in the fares coming into place on Monday.”

Earlier this year, McGill’s closed the gates at its Barrhead bus depot.

Operations at the Muriel Street hub ceased on March 31, with 106 of the 112 employees being transferred to the firm’s Johnstone and Inchinnan bases.

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