Govt unveils £2 bus fare cap

The government has today announced it will cap most single bus fares in England at £2 from January 2027 as a measure to ease living costs, funded in part by switching investment set aside for international climate finance to loans. Responding for Friends of the Earth, climate campaigner Danny Gross, said:

“Andy Burnham’s move to reinstate the £2 bus cap is a commendable, early policy decision which will help to ease the cost of living for those who need it most here at home. But with the UK already doing far below its fair share on international climate finance, funding it by replacing climate grants with loans is nothing short of a travesty. By heaping more debt on countries that have done least to cause the crisis, the lives of those already on the frontlines will be put at greater risk and the global climate effort undermined.

“There’s no doubt the government has tough choices to make, but this certainly isn’t the answer - especially for a government that says it’s on the side of those facing injustice. And given bus services have been decimated over the last 15 years – with those outside of London halved – this decision only scratches the surface of what’s needed for people struggling in the UK. As well as reducing travel costs, which should be lowered still, the government must also focus on increasing the quality and quantity of services so that those without a car can access work, local amenities and the social connection too many are missing out on.”

ENDS