Transport boss 'disappointed' by bus fare cap rise

Charlotte Cupit says the cap increase "risks setting back the work we’ve done in Derbyshire to improve and increase bus services"

A Derbyshire transport chief has expressed her disappointment over the government's plan to increase the single bus fare cap from £2 to £3.

Charlotte Cupit, cabinet member for highways assets and transport at Derbyshire County Council, said the decision felt like a "tax on transport".

Prior to Wednesday's budget, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer revealed the £2 single bus fare cap will be increased to £3 in England.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget announcement included tax rises and spending cuts, to combat a claimed £22bn blackhole in public finances left behind by the previous government.

Ms Cupit said: “I know from many residents how popular this scheme has been in encouraging people to use the bus, but also as a help with daily travel costs and expenses.

"This increase feels like a tax on transport we all rely on as well as on working people.”

The Conservative-controlled county council has been rolling out a £47m Bus Improvement Plan with two new bus stations and work at eight other locations to promote public transport and help reduce congestion and CO2 emissions, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Ms Cupit said the scrapping of the £2 cap comes at a "crucial time as bus services are continuing to recover from the challenges of the pandemic".

“Bus services need passengers to be sustainable and this move risks deterring that," she added.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport fears a single bus fare cap increase to £3 will pose challenges to many passengers.

Sir Keir Starmer said he knows how much the matter means to people, particularly in rural communities where there is greater reliance on buses.

The new cap is expected to run until the end of 2025 and will follow the existing £2 cap which was due to expire in December.