Isle of Man £2 bus fare cap extended

Tickets for single journeys currently cost no more than £2

A £2 cap on Isle of Man bus fares has been extended for a further two months.

A three-month trial of the maximum fare had been due to end on Tuesday, but will now stay in place until 31 March, the infrastructure minister has said.

A review of bus fares is currently being carried out with any changes due to come in from 1 April.

Chris Thomas MHK said the extension would allow Bus Vannin to "continue supporting the community" until the review was done.

"The fare cap has resulted in a small increase in passengers and seen added value and savings for existing users," he added.

Under the scheme, tickets for single journeys remain reduced to £2 from the maximum price of £3.40.

It was expected the initial three-month trial, which started on 1 November, would cost the Department of Infrastructure £170,000 in lost income.

The bus fare cap was one of a series of measures rolled out by the Manx government to help those struggling with the rise in the cost of living.

Other measures included a cap on electricity tariffs, a series of support payments for low income households, and making 28 public sector telephone numbers free to call.