Bus £2 fare cap extended for three monthson February 17, 2023 at 4:22 pm

The £2 cap on bus fares has been extended for three months following warnings that hundreds of services could be cut if it ended.

The cap applies to more than 130 bus operators outside London.

It had been due to expire on 31 March, but has been extended until the end of June.

Bus operators have been struggling to maintain service levels in the face of rising costs and passenger numbers not recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

The cap was introduced partly as a cost of living measure but is also meant to encourage people back on to buses.

“Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Up to 15% of services could have been scrapped without further funding, the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents bus and coach firms, said earlier this month.

During the pandemic, the government provided £2bn to support bus firms, who provide the most popular form of public transport in England.

The government said the extension for bus fares would be backed by up to £75m in funding.

The cities of Manchester, Liverpool and West Yorkshire – all of which have Labour mayors – have already introduced £2 caps as part of longer-term schemes.

The government said a further £80m would be made available to support critical bus services in England, as part of a wider package.

“We’re providing £155m to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes – helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way,” said Transport Secretary Mark Harper.