Mayor announces new £2 bus fares to be available within weeks

THE Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, has announced that bus passengers will soon be able to travel across the Liverpool City Region for no more than £2 per journey in a bid to help residents save money during the cost of living crisis. By 18 September 2023 adult single fares on all services will cost a maximum of £2, making it cheaper for passengers to travel across the Region. The cost of a MyTicket, which allows young people under the age of 19 to benefit from all day unlimited travel on the Region's bus network, will also remain frozen at:- £2.20, until 2025.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:- "More than 400,000 journeys are taken by bus in our Region every single day yet, far too often, people tell me that they're still too expensive, too confusing and too unreliable. With the cost of living crisis placing more and more pressure on households, we're using the power of devolution to bring the price of a single bus ticket down to its lowest level in years; putting money back into the pockets of our residents. This is just a down payment on my wider ambitions for our Region's buses. I'm working to take back control of our network, so that we can reinvest any profit we make back into our public transport system; putting passengers before profit."

The new single adult fare; which is part of the Mayor's wider plans to revolutionise the public transport system; will mean that some passengers will see a saving of up to 13% versus the current cost of their journey.

Plans are also underway to simplify the Region's often confusing ticketing system under a:- 'tap and go system' that would allow for greater freedom and flexibility with passengers guaranteed to always pay the cheapest fare.

Earlier this year the Liverpool City Region took an important step towards the major reform of its buses after local leaders voted to confirm franchising as the preferred model for running the network; a landmark move that would reverse the industry's deregulation in the mid 1980's.

The new reduced and simplified fare has been agreed with bus operators in the Liverpool City Region for an initial 3 year period. It is being funded by the £12m Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) allocation, secured by the Mayor and Combined Authority from Government earlier this year.

Following the confirmation of this funding from Department for Transport last week, further investment is now being sought to help realise ambitious plans for the Region's bus network. Improvements local people have asked for include:- additional evening and weekend services, better integration with the wider transport network and more zero-emission hydrogen buses.

Aligned to the Region's Vision for Bus, this latest round of investment is a key part of Mayor Rotheram's pledge to reform the Region's transport by building a London-style system that will make travelling around quicker, cheaper, greener and more reliable.
 

MILLIONS across England will save money through a new £2 cap on single bus journeys from January to March, backed by up to £60 million to ensure affordable transport across the country. The Transport Secretary on 3 September 2022 announced the Government will provide up to £60 million from January to March next year, to help bus operators to cap single adult fares at £2 per journey. The move will help passengers with travel costs for:- work, education, shopping and medical treatments, over the winter months while they are facing pressures from the rising cost of living. Bus fares vary across different parts of the country and between bus operators, and can even reach almost £6 for a single journey in rural areas. The new cap means passengers in those areas could save more than £60 a month if they took 4 single trips a week. The average single fare for a 3 mile journey is estimated at over £2.80, meaning that the new fare will save passengers almost 30% of the price every time they travel. The funding to keep fares down follows the Government's announcement of £130 million last month to protect vital bus routes and services across the country, which those on lower incomes in particular rely on.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:- "Buses are by far and away the most used form of public transport, so ensuring that almost all bus journeys are no more than £2 will assist passengers over the winter months and provide direct help to thousands of households across the country. This £60 million boost will mean everyone can affordably get to work, education, the shops and Doctor's appointments. We know people will be feeling the pressure of rising costs this winter, and so we have been working hard this summer to provide practical concrete help that will lower daily expenditure."

The new initiative follows the allocation of more than £2bn to support bus services in England through the Pandemic and a commitment to fund improved services, new bus priority measures and new electric or hydrogen buses as part of "Bus Back Better," the ambitious national bus strategy, published in 2021. During the Pandemic bus passenger numbers declined significantly, along with other public transport users, and figures show usage has not returned to pre-Pandemic levels. However, ensuring the public can access affordable bus fares will encourage more people to choose buses for local journeys, which helps to reduce carbon emissions as the country moves towards Net Zero targets. The scheme is estimated to take at least 2 million car journeys off the roads, cutting congestion and pollution for everyone. Introducing the fare cap by January enables the Government to work with operators and Local Authorities to implement a scheme that most effectively delivers real savings for passengers. Operators representing around 90% of the bus market have expressed support for the scheme and we hope that all bus operators will participate.

The fare cap builds on lots of offers around the country in areas with high bus demand, which include daily, weekly and monthly ticket options and promotional offers. Single fares which are already lower than £2 will not be affected by the cap.  The Government will continue to work closely with bus operators and local authorities and consider future support to help passengers continue accessing reliable and affordable bus services after March. A flat rate bus pilot scheme, backed by £23.5 million of Government funding, launched in Cornwall this January and has already seen an indicative 10% increase in passenger numbers. The 'Any Ticket Any Bus' scheme, running over 4 years, includes a £3 day ticket within towns or a £9 day ticket across all of Cornwall, which is valid across different bus operators.

Dawn Badminton-Capps, Director for England for charity Bus Users, said:- "The cap on fares being announced today will bring welcome, short-term relief to the millions of people who rely on buses to access education, employment and health services. Buses make a vital contribution to society and Government support is critical in protecting services for the future."

Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:- "This will be very welcome news for the millions of people who rely on the bus to get to work, to the shops, to medical appointments, and to connect with friends and family. It will also encourage more people to find their nearest bus stop and give the bus a try... where could YOU go for just £2? Buses have great potential to cut traffic and carbon emissions, to connect communities and ease loneliness. This £2 fare cap - which we have called for - will help set buses on the road to a bright future."

Alison Edwards, Policy Director at the Confederation of Passenger Transport:- "Bus fare caps at £2 are an eye catching initiative which could help attract new passengers on to the bus, particularly at a time when networks are adapting to new travel patterns, and both customers and operators are facing cost of living and business cost challenges. We look forward to understanding in detail how the proposed fare cap will work in practice to ensure it supports the long term sustainability of bus networks, which are vital in connecting communities with jobs, education and skills, as well as friends, family, and essential public services."