20
Nov
North Yorkshire mayor considering 'all options' ahead of bus fare cap hike in January
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All options are being looked at for bus fares in York and North Yorkshire ahead of their hike in January, Mayor David Skaith has said.
The mayor's comments came after the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked if he planned to follow West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester mayors in keeping the £2 fare cap.
Labour's Mr Skaith said officials were still assessing the details of the area's more than £12m share of almost £1bn in Government funding for buses announced on Monday, November 18.
But Green Party transport campaigner Andy D'Agorne said the clock was ticking to step in before fares rise to £3 in January.
It comes as Tracy Brabin and Andy Burham, mayors of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, said they would hold fares at £2 after the Government announced hikes in October.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement of the hike followed calls to keep the cap amid concerns over the effect on rural routes and others if it were to be scrapped.
The £2 fare cap was first introduced in January 2023 and it is set to increase to £3 in January, with funding in place until the end of 2025.
Green Mr D'Agorne told LDRS any intervention from York and North Yorkshire's mayor on the cap would be welcome.
But he added he remained concerned given that the hike is set to take effect in just over a month's time.
The transport campaigner and member of the York Bus Forum said:
If the mayor isn't able to step in then he needs to put pressure on the bus operators to keep fares below £3.
Operators' plans for fare increases are likely to be well into their advanced stages now.
It follows the Government's announcement of £955m in funding aimed at enhancing popular routes, protecting rural services, preventing service reductions and improving punctuality.
Places the Government said were underserved by buses such as small towns and deprived areas have been targetted with higher shares of funding.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said the funding came alongside Government plans to extend bus franchising and public control over services.
The Department for Transport stated it would end the postcode lottery in services and extend London-style services to every part of the country.
Secretary of State Ms Haigh said:
Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don’t turn up and some have been cut off altogether.
By delivering better buses, we’ll ensure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities – powering economic growth in every corner of the country.
York and North Yorkshire Mayor Mr Skaith said he looked forward to making the most of the investment for the region.
The mayor said:
The Government’s focus on providing for areas that have been historically underserved, such as our rural areas and small towns, will help us to deliver on our priorities of improving rural connectivity and creating an integrated transport system that works for everyone.
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