Your Ensignbus Fares for 2025
We’ll be introducing new bus fares from Monday 20th January 2025 as a result of the changes to the Government’s £2 Single Fare Cap.
We will be simplifying the fares that everyone pays as well as introducing Tap & Cap, which is a great way to save money on bus fares as you travel without having to buy a day or week ticket in advance.
There will be three ways to pay for your bus travel:
We will be simplifying the fares that everyone pays as well as introducing Tap & Cap, which is a great way to save money on bus fares as you travel without having to buy a day or week ticket in advance.
There will be three ways to pay for your bus travel:
Tap&Cap using your contactless card or device
One Trip: |
£2.70 |
Two Trips: |
£4.90 |
All Day: |
£6.80 |
All Week: |
£30.00 |
You’ll find more information on how Tap&Cap works below.
Buying a ticket on board from the driver using contactless or cash
One Trip:All Day: |
£2.70£6.80 |
In advance on the First Bus App
All Day: |
£6.80 |
Adult Week: |
£30.00 |
Adult 4 Week: |
£105.00 |
Child 5-15 Week: |
£25.00 |
Child 5-15 4 Week: |
£87.50 |
Student 16-19** Week: |
£27.50 |
Student 16-19** 4 Week: |
£95.00 |
You can download the First Bus App from your App Store.
**Student tickets are available to those aged 16-19 and in full time education. Users must be able to show a valid student ID to the driver on request which must be carried at all times whilst travelling.
Please note:
Child fares are no longer available, the only Child tickets will be the Child Week and 4 Week tickets via the First Bus app.
Tilbury 99 fares are under review and not confirmed yet – we will update this page when there is an update.
Tilbury 99 fares are under review and not confirmed yet – we will update this page when there is an update.
Download our 2025 Fares Leaflet Here
When you use your contactless card or device to Tap&Cap, you'll never pay more than the price of a two-trip, day or week ticket* - whichever is the cheapest for the number of times they travel!
Simply place your contactless card or mobile device onto the card reader as you board and wait for the beep that confirms the purchase has been registered. Just remember that you must use the same payment method each time.
Simply place your contactless card or mobile device onto the card reader as you board and wait for the beep that confirms the purchase has been registered. Just remember that you must use the same payment method each time.
How much does Tap&Cap cost?
On any day, your first trip costs £2.70, second trip £2.20 and third trip £1.90. After this, travel for the rest of the day is FREE and they will have paid a total of £6.80.
In any week, the first four days of travel are limited to £6.80 a day. The fifth day is limited to £2.80. Once they’ve reached the cap of £30, any further taps for travel on days six and seven are completely FREE.
The week's travel is capped at £30 no matter how your combination of taps reached that amount. The weekly cap resets every Monday.
How will Tap&Cap benefit you?
With Tap&Cap there is no need to work out which ticket you should buy in advance, as we work out the cheapest on-bus fare for you, with great savings being made as soon as they take your second journey in the same day. The price you pay will never be more than our Day or Week ticket price. That way, if your travel plans change, you will never pay for more travel than you need.
How can I check my Tap&Cap charges?
With Tap&Cap we don’t issue paper tickets. To keep track of your spending, use the link below to visit the transaction portal. Once you have logged in, you can see what journeys you have made and how much you have been charged over the past 90 days. To view your contactless payments please visit: https://first-group.uk.littlepay.com/
Tap&Cap FAQs
How do I pay using Tap&Cap?
To pay for your ticket, place a contactless card or mobile device onto the card reader as you board and wait for a beep that indicates the purchase has been registered. You MUST use the same card or mobile device every time.
What’s the difference between Tap&Cap and normal contactless
Payments?
Tap&Cap takes your payment and uses your smart phone or payment card as a ticket. Just tap and go - no need to work out which ticket you need. Alternatively, contactless payments are a method of payment to purchase a paper ticket instead of using cash.
What types of tickets can I purchase with Tap&Cap?
With Tap&Cap you can pay for one trip, two trips, day and week travel. 4 week, child and student discounted tickets cannot be paid for with Tap&Cap.
Can I pay for more than one ticket at a time with Tap&Cap?
No, you can only pay for the travel of the person who uses the contactless card or device to Tap&Cap. To pay for multiple tickets on the same card, please ask to buy your tickets from the driver. These tickets cannot be used towards Tap&Cap 2 trip, day or week capped fares
Will I get a ticket?
Paper/digital tickets are not issued when you pay with Tap&Cap. Instead, your payment card acts as your ticket.
Do I need to tap when I get off the bus?
No. Only one tap (and beep) is required when boarding the bus.
A child has a contactless card. Can they use Tap&Cap?
Yes, any contactless card should be accepted by our ticket machines as long as there are sufficient funds available. However, there are no discounts available on Tap&Cap or on bus fares. Discounted tickets for children aged 5-15 for one or four weeks are available on the First Bus App.
How do Tap&Cap payments work?
With Tap&Cap we will not be issuing paper tickets. To keep track of your spending, click below to visit the transaction portal. Once you have logged in, you can see what journeys you have made and how much you have been charged over the past 90 days. Click here to view your contactless payments: https://first-group.uk.littlepay.com/
Your Tap&Cap payments will appear on our online portal within a few hours of making your journey.
Your Tap&Cap payments will appear on our online portal within a few hours of making your journey.
Can I Tap&Cap with more than one payment card or device?
If you use more than one card or device for Tap&Cap they will act as separate tickets. Your tracked journeys would be separated too and so you wouldn’t be able to benefit from the two trip, day or week caps.
Which types of contactless card and device can I use to Tap&Cap?
We accept all MasterCard and Visa cards displaying the contactless symbol. Apple Pay and Google Pay are also valid for use. Unfortunately, we do not accept payments by American Express or Maestro. If you are using a pre-paid card, please ensure you have enough credit before trying to make a payment. Failure to provide funds could result in your card being rejected.
Which types of contactless card and device can I use to Tap&Cap?
Most contactless payment cards, issued outside of the UK, will be accepted by our ticket machines. If you find your card is declined, please contact your bank or card issuer. Please be aware that payment cards, issued outside of the UK, may incur overseas transaction fees – which are applied by your bank or card issuer.