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28
Nov 2024
Failure to maintain £2 bus fare cap would be 'blatantly unfair', says council chief
York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith has come under pressure from a political rival to keep the £2 bus fare cap in place.
Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, said it would be “blatantly unfair” if the cap was not maintained when a number of neighbouring authorities were set to keep the discounted tickets.
The senior Conservative councillor, who lost out to Labour candidate Mr Skaith at the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority mayoral election in May, was responding after the mayor declared last week that his office was still assessing the details of the area’s £12m share of £1bn in Government funding for buses announced last week.
Cllr Duncan said Labour mayors in Manchester, West Yorkshire, the North-East and Liverpool were stepping in to protect the £2 cap meaning “millions of people there will continue to pay low fares for longer”.
He added:
I hope our mayor can take the same action in York and North Yorkshire.
It would be blatantly unfair for passengers in our predominantly rural region to once again be left disadvantaged and paying more than those in the major cities.
The Prime Minister confirmed in October that the £2 cap, which has been in place in England since January 1, 2023, would rise to £3 at the start of next year.
But several mayors, including Tracy Brabin and Andy Burham, mayors of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester respectively, have said they will keep the £2 cap in place from January, although a 50p increase could later be introduced in West Yorkshire.
Cllr Duncan said:
Time is quickly running out for the mayor to step in and agree a way forward before fares are hiked from January 1.
North Yorkshire Council stands ready to support any mayoral initiative that protects the £2 cap that has been so important to generating extra passengers and protecting at-risk routes in our county.
Cllr Stuart Parsons, who represents Richmond and is leader of the Independent group at North Yorkshire Council, said an increase from £2 to £3 could “really hurt” regular users.
But he added:
I would rather the mayor found time to ensure we had sustainable and reliable bus services.
In response to Cllr Duncan, the mayor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
Every mayor has to consider the unique challenges and opportunities of their region.
In York and North Yorkshire, we have a hugely dispersed population, with some of our rural communities struggling significantly with connectivity in ways that urbanised areas don’t face.
We are still assessing our options regarding the bus fare cap and awaiting news on what further transport funding our region will get, with announcements expected in December.
I look forward to Cllr Duncan reaching out away from the local media to discuss how we can work together to deliver the best option for York and North Yorkshire.
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