Bus travellers are in for a special treat in the New Year – fares are being capped at £2!

And Sandbach councillor and vice-chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee and chair of the council's bus service improvement member advisory panel, Cllr Laura Crane has welcomed the move.

The Department for Transport (DfT) led scheme, which encourages people to 'get around for £2', will run from 1 January – 31 March 2023 and will see all adult single fares capped at £2 and all return fares capped at £4 on bus services operated by participating companies.

The scheme is being adopted by more than 130 bus operators outside London.

The intention is to encourage more people to swap their cars for bus journeys, helping families save money during the cost-of-living crisis. It will also have a positive impact on the reduction of carbon emissions by taking cars off the road. 

Councillor Laura Crane, vice-chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee and chair of the council's bus service improvement member advisory panel, said: "We know that this winter has been an extremely difficult time for many of our residents and especially families.

"We hope engaging with this government scheme, which means that for the first three months of the year our local bus operators will not charge more than £2 for any local fare, provides a much-needed boost. 

Cllr Laura Crane

"As well as providing residents with a financial incentive to get on the bus, this scheme – through the environmental benefits of reducing emissions from private cars – will also be supporting the council's pledge to make the borough carbon neutral by 2045."

Buses Minister Richard Holden said: "Bus travel remains the most popular form of public transport in England, making up around half of all journeys. That's why we're investing £60 million to cap single bus fares at £2 to support every passenger and help get people back on the bus. 

"With the scheme set to take two million car journeys off the road, it's fantastic to see so many bus operators signing up to the fare cap, helping people to 'Get Around for £2' between the 1st January and 31st March." 

Under the terms of the national fare cap set by the DfT, the 'go-too' service operated by Ansa – which is a wholly-owned Cheshire East Council business – is not eligible for the fare cap. However, Ansa will be promoting alternative incentives for go-too users during the same three-month period."

More information about the government bus fare cap scheme is available on the government website.