BUS fare rises in the North-East have been blamed on global oil prices.

The increases have been introduced this week - with some fares as much as 30p higher.

Bus companies Go North-East and Arriva blame the decision on petrol prices that followed the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, in the US.

In County Durham, Go North-East increased fares above £2 by between 20p and 30p.

The company's pricing and ticketing manager Stephen King said: "While we regret having to raise fares, a number of factors have forced our decision to so.

"We are feeling the strain of extremely high fuel costs and the increasing costs of employment through rising pension and wage costs.

"In addition to raising the revenue we receive from our customers, we are exploring ways to improve fuel consumption and overall efficiency, while seeing if there is anything we can do to remove non-essential usage to reduce costs."

Arriva's highest price increase is for short journeys. The 50p fare for two stops is now 60p.

Single price fares have also increased from £1.30 to £1.40.

Typical journeys where fares have increased include from Durham to Shincliffe Village, Middlesbrough to South Bank and Stockton to Roseworth.

Steve Noble, managing director of Arriva North-East, said: "We have worked hard to keep fare increases to a minimum, but with the much-increased costs we are facing it has become inevitable that we must pass some of these on to our customers."

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