Frequently Asked Questions

I use your buses frequently - can I save money on my travel?

Yes! We offer a wide range of tickets that provide unlimited travel across our bus network. Just click on Tickets for more information. There you will find a range of tickets to suit your needs from a day ticket to a month ticket for the regular bus user.

I'm disabled - will I be able to use your services?

Yes, we have low floor easy access entrance buses operating in all of our Wyvern operating areas, making it easy for people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users to gain access onto the bus. We do still have some high step entrance buses in service that will not be wheelchair friendly, for more information, visit our Bus Accessibility section. If you require a little more assistance when using our buses, you may find our Safe Journey Card useful - you can download your own copy to print.

Can I bring my buggy on board?

Yes, most of our buses are suitable for bringing a buggy on board. Please visit our buggies section section in bus accessibility for more information.

Why didn't my bus arrive on time?

We strive to provide a service that is 100% reliable; unfortunately there are many reasons why your bus may arrive late. Road works, diversions, road closures, heavy traffic, accidents and adverse weather conditions are among the main reasons for late running. When there are major problems it can affect all routes, not just those within the vicinity of where the problem is. The reasons for late running can often be due to circumstances on the other side of your town/city or a result of a problem that happened earlier in the day. We do account for peak-time traffic conditions within our schedules, but unfortunately cannot take into account unexpected problems.

We know how frustrating and inconvenient it is when you are standing at a bus stop and your bus arrives late or does not turn up at all. You can be assured we do all we can to get your bus to you on time - we post major known problems on our website and provide frequent updates through our twitter feed to keep you informed. If there are going to be disruptions to a service that are planned, we will also make every effort to communicate this by posting notices at bus stops in town and city centres. We are open about our punctuality results and post them quarterly online.

At what age do children have to pay their fare?

Children under the age of 5 travel free on our services when accompanied by an adult. If a child under 5 is travelling with an older child, a fare will be charged for both children. Children over the age of 15 will be charged an adult fare.

Why didn't your driver have any change?

Our drivers have a limited float with which to give change - unfortunately this can be easily exhausted if one or two passengers pay for low value fares with a note, especially at the start of a driver's working day. We are wary of providing our drivers with higher floats for security reasons. It always helps if you can provide the correct payment for your journey - please contact us if you require information on the fare relevant to the journey you want to take.

To avoid this situation occurring, you may like to purchase a First ticket off the bus, you can do this by visiting one of Ticket Agents. If the driver is unable to provide change when you board the bus, they will retain your payment, issue you with a ticket and will request that you ask for your change before alighting the bus.

Why are your tickets not valid on other bus operators vehicles?

We offer a wide range of ticketing products to suit our customer's needs but accept that at times, for a number of reasons, customers may require the use of another bus operator or other mode of transport.

In these circumstances, dependant on which area you are travelling within, ask the driver if there is an alternative ticket that you can purchase to accommodate your travel requirements. Please see our Ticket Section.

Do I have to pay with cash?

On bus ticketing remains cash based because of the low price of most transactions. Customers wishing to buy off bus can do so for longer period 'saver' tickets by visiting one of our Ticket Agents

I reach retirement soon - how can I claim my free travel pass?

he English National Concessionary scheme is administered by your local authority. Please apply through their website.

Do First offer discounted travel for students?

Yes! If you're a student, we offer a variety of tickets to suit your needs, whether it's occasional travel, for a full term or for the full academic year, we have tickets that will save you money. Visit the Student Bus Travel page in the Tickets section for more information.

Why have you changed my route/timetable?

We are constantly monitoring/reviewing our network to reflect changing travel patterns and demands from our customers. Your route or timetable may change because of a reduction in demand or because the resources will see greater use elsewhere within our network. We never change a route or timetable unnecessarily, and we will consult with relevant local authorities whenever possible. Most changes are made in light of customer comments received or following some form of market research.

Will you change your route to serve my area?

Our network is designed to provide high quality services wherever there is demand for them. Generally, if we do not currently serve a particular location it is because there is not sufficient demand to sustain a bus service, or it is simply not possible to run a bus there. We are however constantly monitoring/reviewing our network and looking for new opportunities such as new developments where a First service could be suitable.

My bus is always full?

We have a wide range of vehicle types and aim to provide space for everyone who wishes to travel on every journey. We monitor all of our services and where demand exists for extra journeys aim to provide them where possible.

We try to keep all of our services on schedule but sometimes due to delays caused by road works or adverse weather conditions, can result in a fluctuation in customer numbers on a particular journey. This means more people may board a later bus than their usual one, so a usually quiet bus may become very busy.

Why did your bus drive past me?

We're sorry if we missed you. It is possible that the bus you intended to catch was full or that our driver simply didn't see you. You may find it useful to read our guide to catching our buses to ensure you are seen.

Why did your driver not wait for me?

We're sorry if it appears our driver left without you. Driving a bus is a difficult job, and your driver had probably already committed to a manoeuvre and it may not have been safe for them to stop and/or pull back into the stop. Please remember when a bus is pulling away from a stop, our drivers have to be aware of everything around them - including the traffic they are merging with - so they may not see you.

Why do I see buses saying 'Sorry Not In Service'?

This can be for a number of reasons. We provide extra buses at busy times so you may see buses heading to their starting point (or returning to depot at the end of shift). If we are experiencing delays, we may send buses empty to the other end of a route to ensure that everyone along the route is still provided with a service. Our buses undergo regular maintenance so you may also spot one of our engineers running a test.

Are there any jobs available at First?

If you are interested in joining our Company, please visit our recruitment section of the website for further details.