Why the £2 bus fare cap is my favourite policy and we must use it or lose it - George Jabbour

The savings from the Government’s decision to reduce the scale of HS2 means that investment in buses as well as other transport and infrastructure projects across many parts of the country will grow.

Because I don’t have a car, I habitually take the bus. Furthermore, as an elected Councillor for a rural area, residents regularly highlight the critical role that buses play in allowing them to keep their independence.

Individuals who do not drive rely on buses to conduct their daily activities: from shopping and attending medical appointments to socialising and seeing family members.

As a result, I closely follow bus-related announcements and news.

Over £3m extra has been reallocated to be spent on buses in North Yorkshire during this financial year.

Besides recommendations to increase the frequency of certain services in the morning and evening, peak times and weekends, passengers could notice other actions to achieve viability.

The proposals include repairing and refreshing bus facilities and infrastructure, hiring more customer-facing staff and enhancing the website experience of online visitors.

The additional investment that has been redirected from HS2 comes on top of other funding that had been provided to local authorities to support bus routes in the aftermath of Covid and sky-rocketing inflation levels.

Having said that, my favourite bus initiative that this Government has launched is the £2 bus fare cap.

I wrote a few months ago how delighted I was that what started as a three-month scheme back in January 2023 has been extended more than once and will now continue until the end of this year.

The £2 per journey policy has played a key role in boosting demand. This in turn has led to a positive impact on services.

Here in Yorkshire for instance, the iconic Coastliner 840 route, named Britain’s Most Scenic Bus Route as it links Leeds, York, Malton, Pickering and Whitby, has been maintained thanks to the £2 fare cap.

In fact, when I had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Number 10 Downing Street recently, I communicated the gratitude of local people to him for prioritising effective public transport measures.

At the same time, I highlighted the transformational outcome that the £2 cap has already delivered on the ground to Richard Holden MP, who had introduced it.

However, the two policies described above are not permanent and might not be there for the long term.

As bus users, we must make the most of the progress made to ensure that services are more sustainable. As another saying goes: if we don’t use it, we’ll lose it.

George Jabbour is the councillor for Helmsley & Sinnington.