£2 Fare Scheme Extended

The Government has extended the £2 bus fare cap for a second time to ensure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for all.

The cap will remain for bus services outside London until October 31 after which it will increase to £2.50 until November 30 2024 before fares are reviewed again.

The Government is set to invest £200 million to extend the cap and a further £300 million to support bus services until 2025 – £160 million for local transport authorities to improve fares, services and infrastructure, and £140 million for operators to protect essential services across England.

The extension comes as part of the Government's Help for Households initiative to support the public with the increased cost of living.

The funding takes the total Government investment for buses to more than £3.5 billion since March 2020, according to the DfT.

The DfT said the cap will particularly benefit people on lower incomes who, it is reported, take nearly three times as many bus trips than those on higher incomes. Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport and millions of people across the UK rely on these vital services every day. The Government believes it is important to support buses as an affordable mode of transport.

What do you think folks? Has the reduced fare encouraged you to make more of our local bus services? (Ooh, I can almost hear your shout now "if only!")

You can find out which South West bus services are included in the extended scheme at www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap#south-west