Bus fares in Burnley and Padiham will be capped at £2 for any single journey for another year, giving commenters access to cheaper travel until December 2024.
Since the £2 bus fare cap was introduced across the UK on 1 January 2023, millions of passengers have benefitted from lower fares. The “Get Around for £2” scheme has helped cut bus fares in England outside London by 7.4% between June 2022 and June 2023, with savings even bigger in rural areas where fares have dropped by almost 11%.
It comes following the Government’s cancellation of the last phase of HS2 – which will see the £36 billion saved going into transport infrastructure in the North of England and the Midlands.
The reallocation of HS2 funding as part of Network North will see daily transport connections that matter most to people improved, alongside extending the “Get Around for £2” scheme to keep fares low.
Antony Higginbotham MP, who has spoken about the need for good reliable bus services has welcomed the news. He said:
By extending the £2 fare cap until the end of next, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone while helping to ease cost of living pressures.
Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments.
That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people onto the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said:
Today’s announcement marks the start of the Network North plan coming into action.
We’re backing buses with one of the biggest ever support packages and keeping bus fares down to ensure the country’s favourite means of transport is more affordable for millions of people.
This government is taking the right long-term decisions to deliver on our vision for a fairer and improved transport system by investing billions back into the transport projects that matter most to people and their communities.
This latest funding comes on top of the government’s unprecedented investment of over £3.5 billion for the bus sector since March 2020 to support its recovery from the pandemic, drive improvements to local bus services and encourage more use of buses.
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:
Buses are the most popular form of public transport, which is why we are continuing to back our buses with record high levels of funding – supporting vital bus services and offering affordable travel for passengers.
This increase in funding to deliver more reliable, frequent and affordable local bus services – and to extend the £2 bus fare cap – has only been possible with the redirected HS2 funding secured by this government making the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.
