Millions of bus passengers in England will see a change to fare limits from the start of 2027, when the current \u00a33 single journey cap is reduced to \u00a32 on participating services. The Government says the lower cap is intended to reduce travel costs and support communities where bus fares can be high. The move has also prompted questions about whether cheaper bus travel can encourage people to use buses instead of private vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transport minister Simon Lightwood<\/a><\/strong> has shared an update on the expected impact of the fare reduction, following a parliamentary question from Labour MP Callum Anderson about the relationship between lower bus fares and car usage. According to Simon Lightwood, evidence from an evaluation of the first 10 months of the \u00a32 bus fare cap<\/strong>, which ran from January 2023 to December 2024, showed that lower fares encouraged some people to switch to bus travel from other forms of transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evaluation included four surveys. Mr Lightwood said that between 29 per cent and 38 per cent of respondents who reported making additional bus journeys said they would have used another mode of transport without the fare cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those respondents, cars and vans were the most commonly reported alternative. According to the minister\u2019s written response, between 21 per cent and 31 per cent said they would otherwise have travelled by car or van as a driver, while between 15 per cent and 18 per cent said they would have travelled as a passenger. The original \u00a32 cap was introduced in January 2023 as part of efforts to help households manage travel costs and encourage greater use of bus <\/a>services. The limit was later increased to \u00a33 from January 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n