Calls for bus fares to return to £2 a trip
Calls have been made for bus fares to be reduced back to £2 a trip, at today's Full Council meeting.
In January, £2 capped single fares increased to £3 after the Government changed its policy on ticket prices.
Now, county councillors have asked the authority's Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, urging her to change the prices back to £2 a journey.
The reduction in bus fares was rolled out at the start of 2023 as part of a government initiative launched to encourage people to try the bus, with all main Lancashire bus operators offering a maximum fare of just £2 for any single journey.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that more than 40million bus journeys were made in our county from May 2023 to April 2024.
Councillor Scott Smith, lead member for Highways and Transport, said:
"It is vital for bus users across Lancashire that the increase in the bus fare cap to £3 must be reversed.
"Since the start of 2023, these £2 capped fares became a lifeline for people using these services to travel to work, important hospital appointments, access education or meet friends and family, reducing loneliness.
"More than 40 million journeys were made by bus in our county from May 2023 to April 2024. This was an increase of almost one in 10 journeys from the previous year, with passenger numbers now higher than they were before the pandemic.
"We have also seen a 50% increase in travel on the bus services that the council supports. Along with the work of Lancashire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, the £2 fare has been key in safeguarding and enhancing bus services, particularly in rural parts of Lancashire.
"The number of journeys being made on our buses was on track to surpass the 2023/24 levels this financial year, showing that the bus remains a hugely important mode of transport for hundreds of thousands of residents.
"Our Chief Executive will be taking action by writing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging her to reverse this decision and to set the fare cap back at £2 – to ensure our residents can make the most of travelling by bus."
Find out more about our services at Passengers return to buses in highest numbers since pandemic | Lancashire County Council News
Notes to editors
Notes to editors:
More than 40million journeys were made by bus in our county in the financial year 2023/24 - this was an increase of 9% from the previous year.
Whilst Lancashire County Council has received Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, this has been targeted at discounted evening and Sunday fares along with significant improvements to the bus network. Lancashire County Council could not afford to maintain an all-day £2 fare cap.
More than 3.4million £1 evening tickets were sold in the first two years of the scheme which mirrored the £2 fare cap period.