Government extends £2 cap on bus fares until Autumn, but critics worry more bus services will be slashed
17 May 2023, 10:57
The government has announced it will extend the bus fare cap scheme beyond June, when it was supposed to end, so fares will stay at £2 until the end of October this year.
First introduced as a temporary measure last year, the government has now announced an extension to the bus fare cap to help with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector.
From November the limit will then rise to £2.50 which will stay in place for the following 12 months, when it will be reviewed in 2024 ahead of the next general election.
It will cost the Exchequer an extra £200m, and Transport Secretary Mark Harper has pledged £300m to “protect viral routes and improve services”.
Without the cap, the average single bus fare would otherwise be £2.80 for adults.
But Labour has criticised the government, as the party says it “risks more vital services being slashed” following a “near-record numbers of buses” were axed last year.
Data suggests about 1,000 routes have already stopped in the last year.
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A full list of the routes that will benefit from the cap extension can be found on the government website.
London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and West Yorkshire will not be included in the scheme, as they already have capped fares in place on their bus services.
Despite the sums promised by the government, a recent Confederation of Passenger Transport report said that £390m would be needed over the next 18 months to keep the transport services the same – £90m more than the £300m promised.
But the government maintains the funds “will create longer-term certainty for bus users over the next year”.
It also added the funds will be “shared between local transport authorities and bus operators”.
The government says it has spent £2bn on the bus industry since pandemic.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "By extending the £2 fare cap, we're making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures.
"Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors' appointments.
"That's why we're determined to protect local routes and encourage more people onto the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way."
But Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “The Conservatives need to come clean - this announcement risks more vital services being slashed, while communities are denied any say whatsoever.
"With a near-record number of buses axed last year, it's clear the Tories' broken system is failing millions, and they have no plan to fix it.
"Labour will launch the biggest reform of buses in a generation, ending the Tories' broken system, and handing power and control of routes, fares and services back to the communities who depend on them."
