FIRST York's bus fare hikes are "disappointing", according to York City Council's leader, who today revealed he was pushing for a facility similar to London's Oyster card to be brought into the city.

Coun Steve Galloway said he was disappointed at the increases for regular users, and that he was continuing to put pressure on First to introduce an electronic "go anywhere" facility.

His move is part of a bid to encourage people to make buses their first choice for travel.

The news comes after The Press exclusively revealed the price changes - which will come into effect on Sunday. First said the move would see most of its fares increase by about three per cent.

The company, York's leading bus operator, said it would be reducing some of its ticket prices and that it would leave others unchanged.

Coun Galloway said: "I'm disappointed at the increase in some of the fares, in particular the increases for regular users and the increases in the FTR, although I do acknowledge that the return fare on the FTR being standardised with other return fares on bus services throughout the city.

"I hope it will be possible to sustain this level of fares for the foreseeable future, because price does influence people's decisions to travel and I'm continuing to put pressure on First to introduce an electronic "go anywhere" facility similar to the Oyster Card arrangement in London, which I think is a much better way of encouraging people to make buses their first choice of option.

"Clearly some of the fares are actually going down, so in that way I expect it will be an incentive.

"There's a possibility of it being a disincentive on some routes.

"I think the increase in the season ticket price from £44 to £47 is very disappointing."

City of York MP Hugh Bayley said: "No one likes fare rises.

"After fuel costs have gone up, the Government put millions of pounds of investment into York's bus service and we have the highest increase in bus usage anywhere in the country outside London, and it's important not to price customers off buses.

"York's road system can't cope with more cars and public transport is the environmental alternative."

Richard Eames, managing director for First in York, said the company acknowledged Coun Galloway's campaign for it to adopt an Oyster-type card: "We are happy to keep looking at technology as it develops with City of York Council."

In a statement in yesterday's paper, Mr Eames said: "We have been listening to our customers here in York, we have made reductions to two of our key fares as well as freezing the very popular FirstDay price."