New Year cheer: £2 bus tickets for thousands of routes

Millions of people across England can now save money and ‘Get Around for £2’, thanks to £60 million government funding to cap single bus fares until the end of March.

From today (1 January 2023) until 31 March 2023, over 130 bus operators outside of London will charge no more than £2 for their single tickets across over 4,600 routes, helping families, commuters and other passengers save money on travel.

With the average single bus fare for a 3-mile journey costing around £2.80 outside London, passengers will save almost a third of the single ticket price, with even bigger savings in some rural areas where tickets can reach over £5.

The initiative encourages people to get back on the bus to help the industry continue its recovery from the pandemic. It will also reduce CO2 emissions and tackle congestion by taking an estimated 2 million cars off the road.

Some of the biggest savings on the longest routes up and down the country thanks to the fare cap include:

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

"By helping passengers outside London save almost a third off the average single bus ticket and taking 2 million cars off the road, the £2 bus fare cap is a fantastic way to start the new year.

Buses are a key part of our vision for a clean, efficient and modern transport network that is affordable for everyone. That’s why we’re investing £60 million to encourage everyone to hop on the bus and ‘Get Around for £2’."

The scheme forms part of the government’s Help for Households campaign, as the new cap can deliver real savings for those most affected by the rising cost of living.

This fare cap builds on the allocation of more than £2 billion 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 the ambitious National Bus Strategy, published in 2021.

Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said:

"More than a third of small firms consider public transport important to their business. It is therefore encouraging to see support on bus fares as we battle tough economic conditions. This move will likely encourage shoppers to go to towns and cities – just the fuel we need for economic growth."

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.

Norman Baker from Campaign for Better Transport, said:

"Affordable bus travel really is a win-win. Capping bus fares in this way will help struggling households, cut traffic congestion and carbon emissions, and inject new life into dwindling bus services."

Notes to editors

• Operators across all regions in England (outside of London) have been given the opportunity to apply to take part in the Bus Fare Cap Grant (BFCG).    
• We have also made provisions so that operators providing services under the DfT’s Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) and local tendered services or those run by the Local Transport Authority are able to take advantage of this cost of living support.   
• Operators in the Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Liverpool Combined Authorities where an existing government-funded £2 fare cap scheme exists are not participating in the BFCG scheme. These are being funded by government through our Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs).  
• Further information on Help for Households can be found at Help for Households - Get government cost of living support
• https://www.traveline.info/ can be used to plan journeys and find information on £2 routes.