Prime Minister confirms £2 bus fare cap to rise in new budget

A bus in Chelmsford city centre
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A popular cap on bus fares will be increased in the upcoming Budget, the Prime Minister has confirmed. The cap has been extended by another year with it being increased from £2.

The £2 bus fare cap was due to conclude at the end of 2024 having initially been launched in October 2022. The bargain fares included long-haul cross-country trips of up to 80 miles as well as local services.

It included a number of services across Essex being run by First Essex, Ensign Bus Company and Digi Go among others. It also included the popular X30 and X10 airport services to and from Stansted and Southend Airports.

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Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the £2 cap on bus fares would end, but promised a new £3 limit instead. The Prime Minister said: “On the £2 bus fare, the first thing to say is the Tories only funded that until the end of 2024 and therefore, that is the end of the funding in relation to a £2 capped fare.

"I do know how much this matters, particularly in rural communities where there’s heavy reliance on buses. And 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 on bus fares to the end of 2025 because I know how important it is."

Rachel Reeves will deliver her first Budget on Wednesday as the Government tries to bridge what it has called the £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances. The Chancellor has already vowed to rebuild crumbling schools with more than £1 billion of Treasury spending for school infrastructure.