The government’s price cap on many bus fare routes outside London will be extended by a year but rise 50% from £2 to £3, the Prime Minister confirmed in a speech ahead of the Budget on Monday.
Keir Starmer said in response to a media question after his speech:”I do know how much this matters, particularly in rural communities where there’s heavy reliance on buses.
“That’s why I’m able to say to you this morning that in the Budget, we will announce there will be a £3 cap to the end of 2025.”
The move sparked criticism from Labour-affiliated union the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA)’s general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust, however.
She said: “Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are right to identify the need to stabilize the economy and to rebuild the country with investment and we look forward to hearing their plans for investing in the railways on Wednesday.
“However, it is a mistake to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3. Working people, especially those in rural areas, rely on the buses to get to work. This decision will hit hardest on those struggling the most, the very opposite of what Labour stands for. I’m urging the Government to change that decision before it’s too late and keep the £2 bus fare cap.”
Meanwhile public opinion specialist Luke Tryl of More in Common highlighted how popular the move had been with voters, posting on X:
If you want an idea of why removing the £2 bus fare cap may be so damaging beyond polls, read Greg’s quote from our focus group. At a time of deep political distrust it’s one of few recent examples of a policy people can point to that tangibly improves their lives for the better pic.twitter.com/HBacQdz3ww
— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) October 28, 2024
The temporary cap has been in place since the start of 2023. Official stats show almost two-thirds of ticketed public transport journeys in Britain were on local bus routes in 2022.
The Guardian had recently reported some Labour mayors’ apparent fears over bus and other local transport spending being reined in at the Budget.
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