Bus passengers in England to face £1 hike in fare cap

Many bus passengers in England will face a rise of £2 to £3 in single fares from Wednesday.

Major campaign groups have said this would result in an “expensive start” to 2025.

The previous limit of £2 was introduced under the Conservative government to help with the rising cost of living.

However, the Department for Transport said the funds raised would help improve travel in rural communities and towns where there is heavy reliance on buses.

The new £3 cap, covering most bus journeys in England, will last until the end of 2025.

Fares that would be below £3 without any cap – such as in urban areas – are only allowed to increase in line with inflation, which measures how prices change over time.

Buses are the most commonly used form of public transportation in great Britain. But in recent years, thousands of services have been cut as local councils’ funding comes under severe pressure.

Outside London, bus mileage in the year ending March 2024 was down by almost a quarter compared to 2005.

There was speculation that bus fare caps in England would be abolished altogether in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first autumn budget.

Sylvia Barrett, from lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said the policy had proved popular with commuters.

While the cap, which was set to expire at the end of December, was retained, he said its increase to £3 was “significant”.

“The government should now consider a long-term replacement for the scheme from next year to avoid any further increases,” he said.

Local authorities have the power to keep the limit lower in their areas if they subsidize, or fund, their own local transport schemes.

For example, A journey on the bus in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham will cost £2.50 since January.

This comes after the statement of North East Mayor Kim McGuinness in which he said that the subsidy will be given by the North East Combined Authority till December 2025.

In West Yorkshire, the limit will remain at £2 until the end of March, after which it will rise to £2.50 for the rest of the year.

Single bus fares with Transport for London will also remain £1.75 in London and £2 in Greater Manchester. These areas are excluded from the broader fare cap because their funding is structured differently.

Alison Edwards, policy director at bus and coach industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport, suggested that many people using bus services would continue to pay less than £3 per journey.

He said commuters and regular travelers often choose season tickets which are cheaper.

He said many single fares on shorter routes would remain under £3.

The Department for Transport said it is making more than £150m of funding available this year to help meet the cap.

The Bus Services Bill currently going through Parliament would also put an onus on authorities to ensure that every city in England and Wales with a population of more than 10,000 operates a regular service seven days a week.

Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said buses are “vital” to help people get to work, see the doctor or visit their friends and family.

He said the government was ensuring that buses “remain an attractive, affordable way to commute”.