Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that single bus fares across England will be capped at £2 from January, extending the Bee Network policy nationwide. The current nationwide cap is £3 until the end of March 2027, though some areas, including London and Greater Manchester where Mr Burnham set a £2 limit as mayor, already have lower top rates.
Affordable Transport Essential
Mr Burnham said: “Good, affordable transport links are an essential. No one should be priced out of those and left behind. But for too long people have said that cheaper transport isn’t an option. I don’t accept that. I’ve done it before and I will do it again now: a £2 cap on bus fares for millions across the country.”
He added: “Lower fares will help people get to where they need to – giving them breathing space to help with the cost of living.”
Funding and Impact
The measure is backed by £454 million of funding, including money for devolved governments to take similar action. Some £400 million will come from switching investment in international climate finance to loans, with the rest from savings in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero budget. The total cost is expected to exceed £500 million, with the remainder from Department for Transport funding already allocated to buses.
Chancellor John Healey MP said: “We are capping bus fares at £2 for everyone throughout 2027, slashing fares by a third for millions of people, to help give them the breathing space they need. This action to ease the cost of living is funded by savings made elsewhere, so there’s no burden to British taxpayers, just pounds going back into their pockets.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “This is about making those everyday journeys easier and cheaper. We're cutting fares by a third to help with the cost of living, open up opportunities and keep people connected to work, school, healthcare and their friends and family.”
Currently, fares have been capped at £3 until the end of March 2027, but the new move will stop prices jumping next spring and lower fares to £2 from January. It extends the cap until the end of 2027, giving local authorities more time to plan with confidence.
