You must be barking! Bus company charges passengers £1 for them to bring dogs onto their vehicles

A bus company has started charging dogs £1 for every trip.
Mid Wales Travel has come under fire from angry owners after it introduced the tickets, which cost twice as much as a child’s 50p fare.
The firm, based in Aberystwyth, says it is responding to complaints about passengers who block the aisles with more than one dog.
Audrey Basnett, whose brother regularly travels with his pets, said: ‘There was nothing put up at bus stops to warn people. One person took three dogs on a bus and it cost them £7.50 including their fare. That’s a lot of money.

 

Surprise canine fare: Mid Wales Travel justified the charge by saying many passengers bring dogs on their services, and it is only fair they should pay for their extra travellers (stock picture)

‘I’ve been told there are five dogs that go on the buses regularly, but I don’t think that’s enough to start charging.’
Mel Evans, from Mid Wales Travel, said: ‘We’re not going to charge for guide dogs.
'But some people take three dogs and block the back seats so we have to charge something.’
The company, which runs thirteen routes in Ceredigion and Powys, confirmed there had only been one complaint.

Mary Williams, a retired resident from Machynlleth, Powys, said: 'Dog ownership is very high here in Powys and in Ceredigion.
'But not many people take them on the bus so I'm not sure it will really raise much money from fares'.
The average weekly salary in Ceredigion is 25 per cent less than the average across Great Britain, at only £375.20.
The Arriva bus company had charged dogs in North Wales 50p per journey, but it decided to let them travel free in 2007 - as long as they were accompanied by their owner.

 

Rural community: Locals in the town of Aberystwyth and the surrounding countryside, where Mid Wales Travel operates its buses, are angry at the surprise introduction of the dog tariff