People across Nottinghamshire will be able to travel on buses for just £2 until October after the Government extended a cap on fares. It has been announced that £200 million is being invested in England's bus network so that fares outside London will remain capped at £2 until October and then at £2.50 for a single until November 2024.
The cap was first announced at the start of the year as a temporary measure, but the Government says it has encouraged more passengers to use local bus services. The funding is shared between local transport authorities and bus operators, with those in Nottinghamshire and in Nottingham city all benefitting.
Ben Bradley, the Conservative Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: "I'm really pleased that the Government is continuing to help people with the cost of living by extending the cap on bus travel. Bus travel is a vital resource for people to get to work and other activities and it is important to see that recognised by the Government in this announcement.
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"Locally, I recognise that many people have challenges with the reliability of the bus service and the County Council are stepping in to support that with £4 million of subsidy to try and keep services on track. We're also rolling out an on-demand service, including an evening service in Mansfield, to try and make our bus services sustainable for the future."
As well as the investment to freeze bus fares, the Government has also announced £300 million of funding to protect routes and services relied on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping. Local authorities will receive £160 million to improve services, whilst £140 million will go directly to bus operators.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport and millions of people rely on these vital services every day. This half a billion pounds investment will help people save money amid cost-of-living pressures and continue to level up transport in all parts of the country, doing our bit to help halve inflation and grow the economy."
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