Henry Smith MP has welcomed confirmation of support being provided from Government to the bus sector, including the plan to introduce a £2 bus fare cap in England, outside of London.

Henry said;

“I’ve been calling on Government to take action to address pressures on the cost of living, which are being caused by a range of global factors.

“Government is right to take this action, to ensure more and more people have access to affordable public transport, and working to lower fares for passengers.”

The National Bus Strategy, published in 2021, set out a bold vision for bus services across England backed by £3 billion of investment – the largest Government investment provided for buses in a generation.

This vision made clear Government’s ambition to supporting and working with industry to help make bus services more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, better co-ordinated and cheaper.

The Government is to invest up to £60 million to introduce a £2 bus fare cap on most services across England outside London by the New Year.

This will mean that a single bus ticket on most services will cost no more than £2, starting no later than 1st January 2023. The cap will run for a period of three months until the end of March, ensuring that millions of people across England will save on travel costs.

This further investment announced by Government is in addition to the six-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant, worth up to £130 million, which was confirmed on 19th August to continue protecting bus services, making clear the Government’s ongoing support for the sector.

It also sets out another practical step being taken by the Government to support people affected by the rising cost of living.

The Department for Transport will continue to work closely with bus operators and Local Transport Authorities in the months ahead to ensure a smooth introduction to the £2 bus fare cap by the beginning of the New Year.