£2 bus fare cap to rise to £3 on 1st January 2025

October 31, 2024

The current £2 cap on single bus fares had been due to come to an end on 31 December 2024. Under the plans of the previous government, funding for the current cap on bus fares had been due to expire at the end of 2024.

From 1 January 2025 through to the end of December 2025, a new single fare cap at £3 is being introduced to ensure millions of people can access affordable bus fares and better opportunities all over the country. This will particularly benefit passengers in rural communities and towns and will save passengers up to 80% on some routes.

The cap means no single bus fare on routes included in the scheme will exceed £3 and routes where fares are less than £3 will only be allowed to increase by inflation in the normal way so that some fares will remain below £3. The fare cap will help millions access better opportunities and promote greater use by passengers.

At the moment Arriva and First buses who operate in the Southend area are part of the scheme.