£2 bus fare scheme to be extended

The £2 cap on bus fares in England has been extended again until the end of October 2023, the government has announced.

The cap, which applies to more than 130 bus operators outside of London, will then rise in November to £2.50 for 12 months, before prices are reviewed.

The current limit on fares has now been extended twice after warnings hundreds of services could be cut without it.

Its aim is to ease the cost of living pressures on passengers but also to encourage people to use buses.

Bus operators have still not seen the same number of passengers return to using services as before the Covid pandemic, with levels recovering to around 85 to 90%, according to the Department for Transport.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport, which is the trade association for the UK's bus and coach sector, welcomed the extra funding for the scheme and said it would help operators and councils to "promote and grow services with greater confidence".