After New Year, I got a nasty shock when I took a bus from my house in Hull into the city centre and saw it had increased in price.
I’d been aware the government was talking about discontinuing the £2 single journey price cap, but I’d vainly hoped there might have been a U-turn. Unfortunately, the bus cap is now £3 which, while better than nothing, is still a huge rise of 50%.
For people who are heading into Hull and back again on a Stagecoach bus, it will now cost £6 for two singles. I found East Yorkshire buses were cheaper, with single journeys into Hull £2.50.
I’m quite lucky because I have a bicycle which will get used a lot more now, but there are days when it is very windy and cycling doesn’t feel like a safe option. Also, not everyone can afford to keep a bicycle and many are scared to cycle on the roads.
Pensioners and people with a Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass will still get to travel for free which is something to be glad for, but what about parents or those on low wages, unable to afford a car or alternative mode of travel, whose budgets are squeezed the most?
The newly-introduced £3 bus fare is “capped at the lowest point possible” according to a government minister. The £2 cap expired at the end of 2024 meaning without the new £3 cap, prices would have returned to pre-cap levels – the cap is now in place until the end of 2025.
“Under inherited plans, funding for the previous cap on bus fares had been due to expire at the end of 2024. But as part of the government’s commitment to put more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change, it has stepped in to maintain a cap in 2025,” a press release reads.
Considering Londoners pay a flat subsidised rate of just £1.75 for an hour of bus travel – including journeys with multiple changes – it feels like a raw deal for Hull and other towns and cities.
There are some ways around the price increase. If you download the East Yorkshire bus app, you can see the option to bulk buy tickets if that is affordable and practical for you.
For instance, the Flexi5 ticket costs £20 which gives you five tickets providing limitless travel in Hull within a 24 period. It means it would cost only £4 a day for travel around the Hull zone, equivalent to two £2 singles under the old fare cap.
On the Stagecoach app, you can also get a Flexi5 ticket for £20 which is valid until midnight on the day of activation. So long as your outward and return journey is taking place within the same day, this would also cost you just £4.
Sadly, not everyone can afford to bulk buy a bunch of tickets in advance. While the bus cap rise is an inconvenience for me, for those living hand-to-mouth it is yet another burden.
Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said: “Buses are vital to help people get to work, the doctor, or see their friends and family, they boost growth, support communities, and drive up living standards across Yorkshire.
“That’s why we’re stepping in to make sure fares are capped at the lowest point possible, saving people up to 80 per cent on travel and ensuring that our buses continue to be an attractive, affordable way to get around. In Yorkshire and the Humber over 575 commercial routes will benefit from £3 capped fares, including the Leeds to Scarborough route, where passengers will save a huge £12 per journey.
“Local areas can also choose to keep a lower cap with their share of our £85 million bus funding package, as is the case in West Yorkshire.
“As we rebuild Britain with our Plan for Change, this £150 million investment is just the beginning. Our Bus Services Bill is currently passing through Parliament and will hand power back to local authorities to choose how they want to run their local buses, giving them greater control over fares, routes, and timetables.”