It's not that short a distance - it's 3.2mi from The Traveller's Rest to Long Eaton Green. And it's only £2.03 with a MANGO.
As others have noted, high single fares isn't unique to TB.
Where I'm living at the moment (Swansea), First Cymru charge £2.50 single to go from Swansea University to the Quadrant bus station - a journey of 1.9mi. As First have pretty much got a monopoly on travel in the area and there's no PTE here, I don't hold hope of ever getting a smartcard for cheaper travel, or live bus times for that matter.
From where I'm sitting, TB seems much better value for money.
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Just thinking about comparable length journeys in Swansea.
It's 3.2mi from Olchfa School / Hendrefoelan Student Village (front) to the city centre, plotted using the 20/21A route. A single is £3.00.
We are pretty fortunate to have TB around here, I think people forget that sometimes. The bus service in Swansea is (or was when I was there) shockingly poor! Dirty clapped out old buses trundling along at slow speeds running at low frequencies with no late / night services and limited Sunday services.
