This measure has been introduced to help commuters with the increasing costs of living and will save them up to £3 on single fares to ensure affordable transport across the country.
The move will help passengers with their cost of commute to work, education, shopping and medical treatments over the winter months.
Bus fares vary greatly across the country with some rural connections costing up to £6 for a single journey. That means commuters cut save up to £60 per month if they’re taking 4 journeys per week. The average fare for a 3 mile journey currently stands at £2.80, which means 30% decrease in price compared to the fares last year.
This scheme is a part of £130million Government’s commitment to protect the crucial bus services across the country
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
Buses are by far and away the most used form of public transport, so ensuring that almost all bus journeys are no more than £2 will assist passengers over the winter months and provide direct help to thousands of households across the country.
This £60 million boost will mean everyone can affordably get to work, education, the shops and doctor’s appointments.
We know people will be feeling the pressure of rising costs this winter, and so we have been working hard this summer to provide practical concrete help that will lower daily expenditure
Dawn Badminton-Capps, Director for England for charity Bus Users, said:
The cap on fares being announced today will bring welcome, short-term relief to the millions of people who rely on buses to access education, employment and health services. Buses make a vital contribution to society and government support is critical in protecting services for the future
Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:
This will be very welcome news for the millions of people who rely on the bus to get to work, to the shops, to medical appointments and to connect with friends and family. It will also encourage more people to find their nearest bus stop and give the bus a try… where could YOU go for just £2?
Buses have great potential to cut traffic and carbon emissions, to connect communities and ease loneliness. This £2 fare cap – which we have called for – will help set buses on the road to a bright future.
Alison Edwards, Policy Director at the Confederation of Passenger Transport:
Bus fare caps at £2 are an eye-catching initiative which could help attract new passengers onto the bus, particularly at a time when networks are adapting to new travel patterns, and both customers and operators are facing cost of living and business cost challenges.
We look forward to understanding in detail how the proposed fare cap will work in practice to ensure it supports the long-term sustainability of bus networks, which are vital in connecting communities with jobs, education and skills, as well as friends, family and essential public services.
Flat-rate bus pilot scheme launched in Cornwall has already seen a 10% increase of bus passengers The ‘Any Ticket Any Bus’ scheme, running over 4 years, includes a £3 day ticket within towns or a £9 day ticket across all of Cornwall, which is valid across different bus operators.
Despite the scheme lasting only three months, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) has welcomed the change.
Whilst the temporary relief for passengers will most likely increase the bus traffic, it’s more of a temporary fix.
Alice Ridley, a CBT campaigner, said:
Obviously we’d prefer something to be extended indefinitely. It’s great, but in three months’ time when a fare goes back to £8 on some routes, people will not be incentivised to use the bus.
The Government already promised a total of £3bn for buses in 2021 but more than a half of these funds were swallowed up in an emergency Covid bailouts.
About quarter of routes in England have already been lost in a decade and many more rural routes are at risk of closing. These are the routes used by the most public-transport dependant commuters.
The recent funding for busses was only announced after the industry’s warning that bus operators were about to give a notice of widespread reduction of bus routes.
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