Davey to take bus driving lesson in call to scrap fare cap rise

Sir Ed Davey will take a bus driving lesson as he launches a Lib Dem campaign calling for a Government U-turn on the rise of the bus fare cap.

The £2 cap on single fares that applies on most routes outside London will be replaced by a new £3 cap until the end of 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget.

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed will meet local bus company representatives at a bus depot in Oxfordshire on Friday and hear their concerns about the fare cap rise.

He will then take a bus driving lesson around the depot.

Sir Ed said: “The fare cap increase is like a bus tax for people across the country, impacting bus users and commuters already struggling to make ends meet. MPs must be given a say on this bus fare hike on behalf of their constituents.

“Our communities have already paid too high a price for years of Conservative neglect and incompetence. This bus fare hike will hit cherished local businesses and high streets, many of which are already struggling.

“The Government needs to change course and boost struggling local economies by investing in bus routes.”

Single bus fares in England have been capped at £2 outside London, where they are £1.75 per journey, for most routes since January 2023.

One in three bus users in England outside London say the fare increase means they will take the bus less often, a Savanta poll commissioned by the Lib Dems found.

Savanta interviewed 1,437 adults in England – excluding London – from November 8 to 10.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The previous fare cap was due to expire at the end of 2024, with fares set to soar by as much as £13 on the most expensive routes, unless we intervened to keep fares down.

“Fares will only be allowed to increase with inflation in the normal way, and the £3 bus fare cap will lead to savings of up to 80% on some routes, keeping bus tickets affordable across the country.”