BUS passengers in Southampton are facing hikes in prices.

City bus operator Solent Blue Line has announced increases on some services by as much as ten per cent from today. It blamed it on the cost of fuel, saying it could no longer absorb costs.

However, some tickets will go down - fares on the X9 and 38 from Calshot to Blackfield will fall from 80p to 60p.

Operations director Peter Shelley said: "Solent Blue Line buses use ultra-low sulphur diesel. The bus industry receives some of the duty on fuel back from the government. But the cost of fuel to the company has risen 40 per cent over the past year. As a result, some ticket prices will increase from today.

"They will, however, be nothing like the rise in fuel prices. Most of the ticket increases will be around ten per cent."

News of the increases comes just days before the first-ever bus surgery in Southampton takes place - on a First Southampton bus at the Bargate on Saturday between 10am and 3pm.