£2 Price Cap on fares in England - Now extended beyond October 2023

[Deerfold]

Both of those are relatively cheap - not sure exactly but a single is around £7-8 on both. The North East Explorer essentially limits how expensive singles can be up here, as do Arriva's own single operator day tickets which are a bit cheaper than the Explorer (they formerly ran Carlisle to Newcastle and still run the Berwick route).

Leeds to Whitby on the 840 route is (iirc) £16 - I don't know of any routes that are more expensive but there could be some out there.

I think this is the most up to date fares info for Yorkshire Coastliner, confirming Leeds to Whitby at £16.

 

[Marcus Fryer]

The following article appeared in the online version of the Guardian newspaper:

“British woman undertakes trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 local buses”

British woman undertakes trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 local buses

Thousands are following and supporting Emily Turner’s epic journey on Twitter

amp.theguardian.com

A British woman undertaking an epic three-day expedition from London to Scotland using only local buses has expressed her surprise at the level of support from thousands of people following the chronicles of her journey on Twitter.
Writer and podcast host Emily Turner, from London, began her nearly 400-mile journey in the early hours of Friday, announcing on Twitter: “I’ve been wanting to do this for YEARS!!”, explaining that she “loves buses” and promising to share photos and observations along the way.
She plans to arrive at her destination, Edinburgh, on Sunday, taking 16 buses in total, and travelling exclusively by those that fall under the government’s £2 local bus programme.
Before boarding her first bus in London, she commented: “Rather amazed by the 1,200-ish new followers I’ve got for deciding to ride a bunch of buses.”
Turner, who hosts the Roundel Round We Go podcast about the London underground, planned her trip to coincide with her 35th birthday on Friday, and is attempting to keep the total cost under £35.
On Friday night, she tweeted: “And that concludes my 35th birthday. When my mother turned 35, she was about to give birth to me, but I feel like today I have given birth to a whole Twitter bus lover community, so to each their own.”
In response to one Twitter user who commented “I bet it’s going to cost more than a single megabus ticket”, Turner replied “Oh definitely! It was more about the journey than saving money.”
Upon arriving in Leeds, she explained some of the background to her penchant for public transport, saying: “Leeds is a city I’ve spent about three weeks in previously. They were while I was doing intensive teacher training, and I was spending a lot of time with large groups of people, which I found exhausting, so I’d escape and go ride buses.”

Riding up and down the valleys is incredible, and I love the sea in the distance (though I was on the wrong side). It was some of the steepest roads I’ve been on in a bus. pic.twitter.com/qre8SgaFP9
— Emily Turner (@ETWriteHome) February 11, 2023

Thousands of people around the UK have followed her account before and during her journey, providing tips and encouragement – and sharing their own bus-related anecdotes.
One Twitter user said: “Looks like you passed my house on the Stagecoach 59 from Barnsley this morning. Wish I’d known, I’d have got you a coffee and a sandwich from Noble’s at Busy Corner.”
Another said: “Going to be following Emily’s journey to Scotland via local buses all weekend – it’s all about the journey and who she meets along the way.”
Turner has been compiling a bus-themed playlist, with songs including Erica Banks’ Buss It and Vengabus by The Vengaboys.

Very fancy bus with tables and screens and everything – and these pointless lights that were working even though the USB chargers weren’t. pic.twitter.com/75gu7OCgwC
— Emily Turner (@ETWriteHome) February 11, 2023

In response, she has been offered tips for audio accompaniments to the voyage: “I hope you liked the 16-minute @GratefulDead song I recommended earlier,” said one follower. “If you’ve got another long bus ride still to come, I’ve got a 30-minute one ready for you.”


A newer follower added: “Very much enjoying the @ETWriteHome bus tour … I did a similar hitchhike to Paris from Edinburgh in 2010. If you can muster the energy down to @NewbarnsBrewery when you make it to Edinburgh there will be a drink on the bar for you.”
Despite trying to adhere to a strict schedule en route to Scotland, Turner’s journey has been disrupted and delayed at various points. On Friday, she boarded an unplanned bus at Luton, and on Saturday, she became waylaid after her card was declined – something which later transpired to be because she had carried out more than the permitted number of Apple Pay transactions in a single day.
At the time of writing, Turner is in Newcastle. She plans to get the train back to London on Sunday evening.

It does not specify all the routes used, but it appears from her Twitter posts that she used, inter alia, the 840 Coastliner Leeds to Whitby, then via Middlesbrough to Newcastle and X15 from there to Alnwick. It was a three day itinerary.

 

[GodAtum]

British woman undertakes trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 local buses

Thousands are following and supporting Emily Turner’s epic journey on Twitter

amp.theguardian.com

Anyone noting what buses she gets?

 

[londonteacher]

I am tempted to try going from Chatham to Lands End by bus week using the £2 fares and then returning to London on the National Express.

 

[johnnychips]

I am tempted to try going from Chatham to Lands End by bus week using the £2 fares and then returning to London on the National Express.

I think you have duplicated the attachment to only show the second half of the journey.

 

[Geordie driver]

British woman undertakes trip from London to Edinburgh using only £2 local buses

Thousands are following and supporting Emily Turner’s epic journey on Twitter

amp.theguardian.com

Interesting. I have a good friend still driving in Newcastle, he loves the 2 quid fare, punters and drivers happy. Not many single fares lower the £2 especially if travelling into Northumberland so almost a flat fare.

 

[londonteacher]

I think you have duplicated the attachment to only show the second half of the journey.

I’ve edited it now!

 

[GusB]

Anyone noting what buses she gets?

The article doesn't say, but it does mention that she's been documenting her travels on Twitter. You'll have read it before posting, of course.

 

[Man of Kent]

I am tempted to try going from Chatham to Lands End by bus week using the £2 fares and then returning to London on the National Express.

Chatham to Portsmouth will be cheaper with a Discovery Ticket (£9), rather than paying on every bus.

 

[londonteacher]

Chatham to Portsmouth will be cheaper with a Discovery Ticket (£9), rather than paying on every bus.

That is true!

Has any data been released yet/or will it discussing bus usage since the scheme began?

 

[GodAtum]

What's the furthest I can go from central London on £2?

 

[Andyh82]

Slough/Windsor/Reading on the 702/703?

 

[geoffk]

Day tickets are a compromise by most operators to give passengers savings over multiple bookings vs. technical and practical issues with through tickets.

...and to tie you to that operator all day, which is not always the most convenient option.

 

[Simon75]

I guess there isnt plans to extend it beyond end of March?

 

[cambsy]

Can I use the £2 bus fare cap on the First Bus Excel service between Peterborough and Dereham etc?.

 

[Vexed]

Can I use the £2 bus fare cap on the First Bus Excel service between Peterborough and Dereham etc?.

Yes, A B C and D are all listed under First Eastern Counties on the DfT list.

£3 national bus fare cap

A list of bus companies and bus routes included in the £3 bus fare cap scheme.

www.gov.uk

On bustimes.org it also looks like as well as £2 singles, £4 returns are being offered which is different to my local bus company (Uno) who have only reduced singles.

First Eastern Counties A Inbound - Adult Return fares – bustimes.org

 

[dgl]

First round here in Dorset/Wessex are also doing the £4 returns.

 

[Typhoon]

On bustimes.org it also looks like as well as £2 singles, £4 returns are being offered which is different to my local bus company (Uno) who have only reduced singles.

First round here in Dorset/Wessex are also doing the £4 returns.

Great idea. Stagecoach in East Kent are just doing singles which means drivers are (still) spending time explaining to (infrequent) passengers who ask for a return that they were only going to sell them a single because it would work out cheaper for them as two singles would be less than whatever the return was. And they should buy a £2 single on the way back. Doubtless the next time these people use the bus, the price cap will have finished and the driver will be asking whether they be returning because that would be cheaper than two singles. With these First businesses at least the driver won't have to go through the rigmarole of explaining why it is better to buy singles.

Incidentally, I have found that older people (like me) have a much better grasp of the scheme than younger ones, presumably because only the savvy will be travelling before 09:30, and by the time we get on all the Metros may have gone so we resort to reading the notices inside the bus, including those advertising the price cap.

 

[RT4038]

...and to tie you to that operator all day, which is not always the most convenient option.

As I said, it is a compromise.

Not sure how the comment is relevant though, in relation to the issue of through single tickets between one bus and another - there would be no expectation [in the deregulated environment outside of London] that a through single ticket would be available between different operators buses (or any type of return ticket either), so, aside from the relatively few who are making a one-way journey only, the day ticket provides better value than buying individual tickets on each bus. Hence the compromise.

 

[Vexed]

Great idea. Stagecoach in East Kent are just doing singles which means drivers are (still) spending time explaining to (infrequent) passengers who ask for a return that they were only going to sell them a single because it would work out cheaper for them as two singles would be less than whatever the return was. And they should buy a £2 single on the way back.

If the DfT only facilities singles, then I guess First "fakes" it and tells them two singles for getting compensation.
Though this is probably unlikely but I wouldn't be too surprised. I don't really see how if you've gone to the effort of setting up £2 singles how doing returns as well is much harder.

I suppose one option is to sell a single in the reverse direction. I know Ticketer can sell from other fare stages (I've asked for and got returns that are valid from from a couple stages back before) but I doubt it could do one in the reverse direction.

 

[dodecahedron67]

If the DfT only facilities singles, then I guess First "fakes" it and tells them two singles for getting compensation.
Though this is probably unlikely but I wouldn't be too surprised. I don't really see how if you've gone to the effort of setting up £2 singles how doing returns as well is much harder.

I suppose one option is to sell a single in the reverse direction. I know Ticketer can sell from other fare stages (I've asked for and got returns that are valid from from a couple stages back before) but I doubt it could do one in the reverse direction.

You can do tickets in the reverse direction depending on how the route is set up on the ticketer

I can sell reverse direction singles, and indeed have done many times, but not on every route I work. The route has to be set up to duplicate fare stages in the reverse direction to allow selling of tickets ‘the wrong way’, i.e your fare stages look like Stop A, Stop B, Stop C, Stop C’, Stop B’, Stop A’ (‘ is notation for the same but different, ie in the other direction here), that way you can sell a ticket from Stop B to Stop A’ or Stop C to Stop B’, etc.

 

[Deerfold]

If the DfT only facilities singles, then I guess First "fakes" it and tells them two singles for getting compensation.
Though this is probably unlikely but I wouldn't be too surprised. I don't really see how if you've gone to the effort of setting up £2 singles how doing returns as well is much harder.

I suppose one option is to sell a single in the reverse direction. I know Ticketer can sell from other fare stages (I've asked for and got returns that are valid from from a couple stages back before) but I doubt it could do one in the reverse direction.

I thought bus companies were getting a fixed sum for being part of the scheme based on the ridership figures they gave the DfT?

 

[Man of Kent]

Great idea. Stagecoach in East Kent are just doing singles which means drivers are (still) spending time explaining to (infrequent) passengers who ask for a return that they were only going to sell them a single because it would work out cheaper for them as two singles would be less than whatever the return was. And they should buy a £2 single on the way back. Doubtless the next time these people use the bus, the price cap will have finished and the driver will be asking whether they be returning because that would be cheaper than two singles. With these First businesses at least the driver won't have to go through the rigmarole of explaining why it is better to buy singles.

I thought bus companies were getting a fixed sum for being part of the scheme based on the ridership figures they gave the DfT?

Yes, operators were made a fixed offer, although it is subject to audit (and clawback) afterwards. But it definitely only applies to singles (of any category, so both adult and child are capped at £2) and not to returns, so First have either decided to take a commercial risk, or have got it wrong.

 

[bspahh]

Emily Turner just wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/ETWriteHome/status/1626600174637436930

The £2 bus fare has been extended until the end of June! I know it’s not perfect, but it will help a lot of people and promote public transport. Keep riding buses and putting pressure on the government! And I’ve definitely got some more trips to plan…

 

[Marcus Fryer]

Emily Turner just wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/ETWriteHome/status/1626600174637436930

Confirmed on www.gov.uk:

£2 bus fare cap to be extended and bus services protected with new funding

Funding to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes.

www.gov.uk

“News story

£2 bus fare cap to be extended and bus services protected with new funding​

Funding to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes.
From:Department for Transport, The Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MPPublished17 February 2023

• bus fare cap to be extended for 3 months, backed by up to £75 million to help passengers save money and Get Around For £2
• government also confirms up to £80 million to continue support for critical bus services around England
• lifeline funding takes total to more than £2 billion since March 2020

Millions of passengers across England will benefit from £155 million in government support to cap bus fares at £2, maintain services and ensure people can travel affordably.
The Transport Secretary today (17 February 2023) confirmed £80 million from 1 April to 30 June 2023 to protect vital bus services people rely on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping.
The government has also announced plans to provide up to £75 million so that bus operators can continue to cap single bus fares outside of London at £2 until the end of June, saving passengers money and encouraging more people back on the bus. With the average single local bus ticket costing £2.80, passengers can save almost a third of the ticket price. Bus operators that are continuing the £2 fare cap scheme will be confirmed in due course.
During the pandemic, bus usage dropped as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels, and the government has provided unprecedented financial support totalling more than £2 billion since March 2020.
With bus patronage still at around 85 to 90% of pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) levels, there are a number of ongoing challenges for bus operators. The government is working closely with the sector on the challenges they face with changing travel patterns since the pandemic and will continue to work on delivering the National Bus Strategy.
The government’s existing £60 million investment to cap single bus fares has already shown early signs of increased bus use, with an independent survey of 1,000 people from passenger watchdog Transport Focus showing 7% of people saying they are using the bus more. During these difficult economic times, these trends already indicate that the government’s support to cap fares is a welcome intervention, helping families, commuters and all passengers to ease the cost of living.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.
Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy – connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.
I’m determined to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the same opportunities to get around easily and can feel pride in your local area – which is why protecting our local bus services is so important.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:
Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic.
We’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes – helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way.
The recovery grant support comes in addition to government investment of £3 billion in bus services by 2025, including over £1 billion to improve fares, services and infrastructure.
In 2021, the government published the National Bus Strategy, and asked all English local transport authorities outside London to publish their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) setting out local visions for the step-change in bus services that is needed, driven by what passengers and would-be passengers want.
Since then, over £1 billion has been awarded to 34 counties, city regions and unitary authorities to deliver service improvements, bus priority and ambitious fares initiatives. In addition, £5.7 billion investment has been provided to 8 mayoral combined authorities in England to support integrated, cross-modal transport networks over the next 5 years through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), including supporting bus infrastructure.”

 

[GusB]

Please remember that any links to external sources should be accompanied by a relevant quote from the article, and that it should be placed within quote tags.

 

[londonteacher]

Confirmed on www.gov.uk:

That’s great news! Fingers crossed operators have found it useful and will continue with the scheme!

 

[Paperyostrich]

That’s great news! Fingers crossed operators have found it useful and will continue with the scheme!

I would say it has been a success down here in Somerset. Some routes do seem to be slightly busier and we have been getting people who have not used the bus in a long time to come on board as it is cheaper, especially considering due to this scheme some fares have more than halved!

Also Buses of Somerset are also doing the £4 return ticket; makes things a lot easier for us.

 

[Silver Cobra]

The BBC have now covered this as well. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64678990

The £2 cap on bus fares in England has been extended for three months following warnings that hundreds of services could be cut if it ended.
The cap applies to more than 130 bus operators outside London.
It had been due to expire on 31 March, but has been extended until the end of June.
Bus operators have been struggling to maintain service levels in the face of rising costs and passenger numbers not recovering to pre-pandemic levels.
The cap was introduced partly as a cost of living measure but is also meant to encourage people back on to buses.

"Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy," said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Up to 15% of services could have been scrapped without further funding, the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents bus and coach firms, said earlier this month.
During the pandemic, the government provided £2bn to support bus firms, who provide the most popular form of public transport in England.
It said the extension for bus fares would be backed by up to £75m in funding.
The cities of Manchester, Liverpool and West Yorkshire - all of which have Labour mayors - have already introduced £2 caps as part of longer-term schemes.
The government said a further £80m would be made available to support critical bus services in England, as part of a wider package.
"We're providing £155m to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes - helping with the cost of living and enabling people to get where they need to in an affordable and convenient way," said Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

Great news all around. Obviously the scheme can't run forever, but extending it to the end of June will be a great help to many.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

The BBC have now covered this as well. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64678990



Great news all around. Obviously the scheme can't run forever, but extending it to the end of June will be a great help to many.

300m/annum seems pretty reasonable to me and in all probability it will drive up ridership so nett cost will be lower