Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed today [Monday 28 October] that bus travel will be kept down at £3 for an additional year which could save up to 80% on some routes.
Funding for the current cap on bus fares had been due to expire at the end of 2024, with fares reportedly set to rise by as much as £13 on routes like Leeds to Scarborough.
Continuing the cap is funded by £151m from the government until the end of 2025.
It comes as the Department for Transport (DfT) confirms an additional £925m for the 2025/2026 financial year to improve bus services across the country, bringing total bus investment to more than £1bn.
Local authorities can use the £925m to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent, and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.
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The £3 maximum single fare cap will keep bus travel affordable while ensuring the cap is fair to taxpayers, the government funding aimed at protecting bus routes, particularly lifeline services in rural communities.
Transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “Buses are the engines of economic opportunity across the country.
“We know that reliable, affordable bus services are vital to keeping Britain moving. That’s why the government will cap fares at £3 for an additional year and provide over £1bn to deliver better bus services.
“Our bus revolution will give every community the power to take back control of their services, end the postcode lottery of services and turn the page on four decades of failed deregulation.”
Achievements and innovations in public transport planning will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector – and to book your table!
