Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last year that England’s single bus fare cap would increase from £2 to £3 in 2025. The new cap is now in place until the end of the year.
The government said it is providing over £150 million in funding to implement the fare cap. Commuters in Brentwood have expressed their concern about the move.
Zara Soobaan, 33, who uses the bus daily for work, finds the increase unsustainable. She said: “It’s definitely increased far too much. Sometimes in the evening, you just want to catch the bus instead of walking, and it’s just too much.”
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For Ramanjot Kaur, 22, the increase means much more than a simple £1 hike. She explained: “We have to remember that some people are being charged £3 to go and £3 to come back, in one day!”
Thinesh Kumar, 43, says the fare increase may not affect occasional travellers but is a significant burden for daily commuters. He explained: “We can see this happening everywhere ‘post-COVID;’ all day essentials prices are increasing, and long-term, this makes such a huge difference.”
Thinesh also criticized the lack of institutional improvements within bus companies to justify the fare hike. He added: “If driver salaries are not going up as well, this fare increase makes no sense.”
Sam Hutchinson, 45, also feels the price hike is not justified by the service provided. He said: “It’s not the drivers’ fault; it’s the route and lots of other things. There’s not enough buses, and the prices don’t really reflect that.”
Veronica, a regular bus user, was waiting for a First bus for over half an hour. She said: “You cannot trust the timing boards or live apps, and that’s really frustrating. Sometimes, I wait so long that I just take an Uber. How can they increase the price of such an unreliable service?”
Some users were left speechless with the move
(Image: Essex Chronicle)
However, not everyone is troubled by the change. Callum Wood, 20, who takes the bus to university daily, said: “I always take the bus because it’s cheaper than the train. Now, it’s the same price, so my life will continue the same.”
Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, added: “I think it’s fair enough. Going from £2 to £3 seems steep, but I only pay £2.50, so my increase was 50p.”
For those travelling with First Essex, the maximum single fare will be £3 until the end of the year. However, 36 per cent of fares will cost less than £3. While opinions vary, many Brentwood residents feel the fare increase is steep and places an additional burden on regular bus users.