The government has agreed to a £155m boost for buses across the country and to continue to cap fares at £2, as councils say more needs to be done to preserve bus routes.
£80m will be provided from April 1st to June 30th to ensure people can still access vital bus services, while an extra £75m will protect the cap on bus fares outside of London until the end of June.
Bus usage reduced dramatically during the pandemic, dropping as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels, and numbers are still at around 85-90% of pre-Covid levels.
With operators facing cuts to services, the government has said it is working with the sector to cope with changing travel patterns and is working to deliver reforms under the National Bus Strategy.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.
‘Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy – connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.
‘I’m determined to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the same opportunities to get around easily and can feel pride in your local area – which is why protecting our local bus services is so important.’
The average single bus ticket costs £2.80, so passengers can save almost a third of the ticket price through the cap scheme, with signs this is already increasing bus use.
An independent survey from watchdog Transport Focus found that 7% of people reported using the bus more since the introduction of the scheme.
The Local Government Association welcomed the news, as Transport spokesperson Cllr David Renard, said: ‘Buses act as a lifeline for so many people in our local communities. They are one of the keys to getting people out of their cars to save money, tackle congestion, and improve poor air quality.’
He added: ‘However, our bus services cannot survive on a hand to mouth existence.
‘The Government must use the time this funding buys to work with councils and operators to develop a long-term, reformed bus funding model with significant new money.
‘Only this will help the delivery of the Government’s ambitious National Bus Strategy that councils are fully committed to.’
Photo by Mitchell Johnson