Single bus fare cap to rise to £3 across Northamptonshire is 'a kick in the teeth'

Bus passengers across Northamptonshire will face a hike in ticket prices, after the Chancellor confirmed last week that the capped price for a single bus journey will increase to £3.

This is a rise from the current maximum price of £2, which was introduced in January 2023 to help with the cost of living, and is set to run out at the end of this year. The new £3 cap, covering most bus journeys in England, will run until the end of 2025.

Despite the increase in the bus fare price cap to £3, bus travel may still be lower priced than before capping was introduced. Not all single fares will rise to the maximum amount, as some may be priced between £2 and £3.

June Turnock, 85, said she takes the buses into town once or twice a week to visit the high street shops and the market. She said that they were her only way of getting into Northampton town centre unless she shelled out for a taxi.

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She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that she thought £3 would be too expensive for a lot of people who rely on buses and that anyone over 60 should be eligible for free travel. Currently, anyone over the state pension age of 66 can apply for a concessionary bus pass which provides free travel on local buses from 9.30am on weekdays and all day at weekends.

Frankie, who uses the bus to commute to work in the town centre from Duston, said the fare increase would be a "kick in the teeth".

"It will cost me more, but it's always about cost, isn't it? I think the £2 was fair enough. I don't drive so even if it goes up to £5 I'd have to pay it," she explained.

A woman waiting at the bus stop, who asked not to be named, said it would be cheaper to buy a day rider ticket, which costs £5.80, to travel around the town when the single fare cap goes up.

She added: "I wish it stayed to 2 quid to be fair. I think as well if it's £2 a lot of people use it more. It came in handy for me, you know, £2 you can find it. If it goes up to 3 quid, I don't know, I don't think I'd use it as much."

West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Phil Larratt said: "We note that the Government has retained the bus fare cap although at a higher level. This financial support towards local bus services is welcomed.

"Work is underway to understand the overall impact of the recent budget on local bus services and we will have a better appreciation of the situation in the New Year.”

Concerns for 'most vulnerable' who rely on bus services

Cllr Matt Binley, North Northamptonshire Council's (NNC) executive member for highways and travel, said he was "very concerned" that the Government had upped the price cap at this point in time as bus patronage has not yet returned to pre-covid levels and significant funding has just been used to improve bus service frequencies and introduce new routes.

"I am worried about the impact that will have on making those routes financially viable and I'm also concerned about the impact that it could have on potentially some of the most vulnerable people we have in society who rely on bus services as an absolute lifeline. From our perspective, we have done an awful lot of work in the last few months on the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

"I fully understand that any Government at some stage or another would have to review those price caps. I'm worried that this is potentially squeezing those on lower levels of income and squeezing them even harder."

He said council officers had explored keeping the £2 cap and subsidising the rates through BSIP funding, but that it would risk the improved bus routes and timetables being axed and wouldn't be possible with current budget pressures.

An NNC spokesperson said that the biggest increase in patronage in services post-covid has come from the longer journeys where the £2 cap has offered the biggest savings. It said customers should look at day, weekly or monthly tickets for better value where possible and encouraged people to use the variety of bus services on offer where they can.

Labour MP for Northampton South, Mike Reader, said: “I know that reliable, affordable bus services are vital to people across Northants. That’s why this Labour government will cap fares at £3 for an additional year and provide over £1 billion to deliver better bus services.

“The last Tory government had only funded the fare cap until the end of the year, leaving a cliff-edge for those who rely on buses. We now need to see West Northants Council respond and restore the rural routes which have been lost in recent years, particularly services in Northampton to areas like The Hunsburys."

A Stagecoach spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the Government's announcement of a new £3 bus fare cap and welcome the clarity it provides. We look forward to working with the Government to understand the details of the new scheme in the coming days and weeks. Our goal remains to provide reliable and affordable transport options that benefit our communities."