There’s welcome news for bus passengers as the government announces a further extension to the national bus fare cap of £2 for a single fare bus journey until the end of October 2023, and then £2.50 until November 2024.
The extension of this national initiative complements the bus fares pilot scheme already in place here in Cornwall since April 2022, with bus passengers already saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. Between April and December 2022 over two million discounted tickets were sold through the bus fares pilot.
Until October 31, 2023, if you’re making a single bus trip, this government initiative means you will pay no more than £2 for your journey.
This is especially welcome news for residents who live near the border and travel by bus into Devon, as the government flat fare initiative means that cross-border single bus journeys between Devon and Cornwall will still cost just £2.
Jane Pascoe, Cornwall councillor for Liskeard South and Dobwalls said:
“Many of our residents are dealing with the increasing cost of living, so the extension of this national government initiative to help people with their travel costs is especially welcome to those who live in areas of Cornwall that border Devon and who travel into Plymouth for work”.
For residents travelling by bus in Cornwall, there is even better value for some single journeys with some as low as £1.60, as well as for those passengers who use the bus for multiple daily or weekly journeys. New technology means passengers making contactless payments can ‘tap-on and tap-off’, capping their payments so that no matter how many journeys they make they will always get the best value when travelling by bus in Cornwall.
A first for a local authority, the pilot follows the council’s successful bid for £23.5m in government funding and involves bus companies including Cornwall by Kernow and Go Cornwall Bus working in partnership as Transport for Cornwall.
Connor Donnithorne, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said:
“Extending the £2 fare cap to October and the commitment that fares will remain at £2.50 from then until November 2024 is excellent news for our residents. It builds on our aims for a thriving public transport network throughout Cornwall – to be sustainable, buses need passengers and keeping the cost down is a great way to encourage more people back on board.
“Thanks to Cornwall’s bus fares pilot, many journeys are less than £2. However, as our own fares pilot does not apply to bus journeys crossing the border into Devon, the Government’s intervention is particularly welcome for residents in east and south-east Cornwall where we know the cost of travel has been a barrier for some in the past.”
More information about the variety of tickets and discounts available can be found at Transport for Cornwall