Bus fare cap to stay at £2, mayor confirms

Greater Manchester's buses are set to be returned to public control under the Bee Network branding

Single fares on Greater Manchester's bus network will remain capped at £2 into 2025 despite a nationwide rise, the city region's mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced England's single bus fare cap would be hiked to £3 in the upcoming Budget.

But Burnham said fares in the region would remain at the current rate "for the whole of 2025 but subject to a mid-year review".

The mayor made the announcement as part of a local fare restructure, which forms part of an ongoing plan to bring all of Greater Manchester's buses back under public control under the Bee Network branding.

Burnham said: "We will proceed with our plan to introduce a new simpler, flatter fare structure based around a £2 single fare.

"This said, it is only by the middle of 2025 when we have completed phase 1 of the Bee Network, and we know the level of government funding we have, that we will be in a position to judge the financial outlook for the new system."

A London-style contactless payment system with daily and weekly payment caps would be introduced in March, the mayor said.

London's buses would also be exempt from the fare cap increase.