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18
Sept
North Yorkshire mayor 'would support' extension to £2 bus fare cap
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has said he would support an extension to the £2 bus fare cap beyond December.
The policy was first introduced by the pevious Conservative government to help increase passenger numbers on services following the covid pandemic.
However, uncertainty has surrounded the scheme after Chancellor Rachel Reeves designated it among a range of “unfunded policy announcements” costing £22 billion.
The cap is due to end in December this year. But ministers have given no indication as to whether it will be extended.
When asked what discussions he has had with government on the policy at a combined authority overview and scrutiny meeting yesterday, Labour mayor Skaith said:
I don’t know anymore than you do. But we do know that in particular in rural communities that has been a supportive plan, for want of a better term. We put that information through to Louise Haigh [transport secretary] on the uptake in our communities and how vital it has been for our region. It has been raised by all mayors.
The £2 cap is something I would support and would love to continue. But that does come down to funding and finances.
Mr Skaith added that he raised the issue with the transport secretary along with other metro mayors at a meeting.
He said:
Hopefully it stays in, but I genuinely don’t know anymore than anyone does around this table as to if it stays in. But I would be supporting it.
The move comes as Labour’s Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer, told the House of Commons in August that the new government had inherited a £22 billion blackhole in its finances.
In order to save money, Ms Reeves set her sights on scrapping transport projects and making the winter fuel allowance means tested.
She also opted to review a range of other “unfunded policy announcements”.
One of them was the extension of the £2 bus fare cap to December 2024 and support for bus networks.
However, rather than give any indication on what ministers plan to do with the scheme, it was simply noted as an "unfunded policy" at a cost of £250 million in a Treasury audit report.
The Stray Ferret has reported extensively on how the policy has supported local bus services and been a “lifeline” for passengers in the Harrogate district.
Cllr Keane Duncan, Conservative executive councillor for transport on North Yorkshire Council, said previously that a lack of clarity from the government had now led to a “cliff edge” and warned that some services in North Yorkshire faced a 600% hike in fares
Meanwhile, last month, Matthew Topham, campaigner for Better Buses for North Yorkshire, told the Stray Ferret that capping bus fares had indeed been critical for many passengers.
Matthew Topham, campaigner for Better Buses for North Yorkshire. Picture: Twitter/X
Prior to the cap, some services faced being withdrawn altogether due to plummeting customer numbers after the covid pandemic and a lack of funding.
Mr Topham called on the government to invest in the bus fare cap policy and to work with local councils on newly devolved powers, such as bus franchising.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Passenger Transport, an advocacy group which represents UK bus and coach operators, has urged the government to phase out the cap, should it decide against extending the scheme.
In a report sent to ministers ahead of the chancellor's Budget in October, the group said:
The overnight withdrawal of a £350m subsidy to passengers would have a huge impact for many on their ability and willingness to pay to travel by bus.
The sector wants to build on the success of the fare cap (with the most recent data showing an 8% increase in bus travel (outside London) in 202310) by working with the government to implement a gradual transition away from the universal cap to deliver a targeted fares intervention for young people that will support longer term modal shift and help young people access education and jobs.
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