Starting today, many bus passengers across England will have to pay an increase in their single fares, from £2 to £3. Despite the Conservative government introducing a £2 limit previously to help with the rising cost of living, fares have now been raised. Experts have labelled the increase a “costly start” to 2025.
But the Department for Transport has announced that the money raised from the fare hike will support travel in rural communities and towns that rely heavily on buses. The new cap will cover the majority of bus journeys in England and will remain valid until the end of 2025.
Bus services are the most commonly-used form of public transport in Great Britain; however, recent years have seen thousands of services cut due to local councils’ funds coming under significant pressure. Bus mileage outside of London in the year ending in March 2024 was about a quarter lower than in 2005.
While campaigners had speculated that the fare cap would be scrapped entirely, it was retained at £3, however, lobby group Campaign for Better Transport is calling for a long-term replacement for the scheme from next year to avoid any further rises.
Local authorities do have the power to keep the cap lower in their areas if they decide to subsidise it themselves or fund their own local transport schemes. For example, Mayor Kim McGuinness announced that the cost of a single journey on a bus in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham would be capped at £2.50 from January and be subsidised by the North East Combined Authority until December 2025. Meanwhile, single bus fares in London with Transport for London will stay at £1.75 and those in Greater Manchester will remain at £2. These regions are excluded from the broader fare cap as their funding is structured differently
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