There has been some excellent news regarding English public transport policy for the first time in a long while. The government’s initial three month long any bus, any distance, £2 single fares scheme has been extended until 30th June 2023.
The scheme has its drawbacks. Participating companies do not receive the full economic cost of reducing fares to £2 regardless of distance. This means that many small companies, which often run lower-frequency rural routes, feel unable to participate. Most larger operators, publicly owned operators, and those small private firms which are able have reduced their fares.
A full list of participating firms in the Midlands (and England wide) can be seen here.
The Government still needs to bring forward a proper sustainable plan to improve buses across the country. Whether increasing frequencies, improving reliability or growing the network which has been brutally hacked at. This year given the pressure on county and unitary authority councils which subsidise many key routes and maintain the critical infrastructure of bus interchanges, stops and timetables, those cuts could be worse than usual. In the Midlands alone potentially scores of routes are under threat. Hopefully, another £75 million behind the £2 single fares and another £80 million in general subsidy will stave off the worst, but this is only until midsummer, and a longer-term solution must be found.
Here’s hoping that with a bit of campaigning it will be…