Ticket to ride?

There’s some good news for all of us who enjoy travelling by bus, especially when there’s a pub visit or two involved, along the way. This comes after a government announcement that the £2 fare cap on most local buses, will be extended until the end of October. It will then continue for a further 13 months at £2.50 for a single journey. The package came as subsidies for local bus services was increased by another £500m. It will also help ease fears about a further decline in local services.

Bus operators, who had warned that up to 15% of routes could be lost when existing funding was due to run out at the end of June, welcomed the news but said it would not be enough to save every service. Covid recovery grants, a subsidy to address the continued shortfall in passenger numbers, were also set to expire next month. The fare cap scheme, which is supported by the biggest operators, will cost about £200m, while the government will also commit another £300m in funding for bus services until 2025.

The Department for Transport said the move, which was brought in as a temporary measure last year to boost the numbers of people using buses, would help support people with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector. The Confederation of Passenger Transport, representing bus operators, said the two-year funding settlement recognised the value of buses. Its chief executive, Graham Vidler, said: “It will enable bus operators and local authorities to plan, promote and grow services with greater confidence.”

“However, the combination of the funding settlement and the £2 fare cap extension will not save every service in every part of the country. Operators and local authorities will now work together to study the detail of the government’s proposals and ensure that the funding is used to safeguard the best possible network for local passengers.”

So, as I said at the start of the article, this is welcome news for those who prefer to be driven to the pub, rather than getting behind the wheel ourselves – something that is not sociably responsible, and which could leave us open to breaking the law, or even causing a serious RTA (Road Traffic Accident). But whilst potentially providing a welcome boost to the beleaguered pub trade during the hours of daylight, it is of little use in rural areas, where most bus services cease operating once it gets dark.

The price cap makes little difference to me, as I already have my OAP Concessionary Travel Pass, which allows me to travel free after 9.30am weekdays, and anytime weekends and Bank Holidays. I guess that many amongst CAMRA’s aging membership are in the same boat, so it’s encouraging to see the campaign throwing its weight behind the scheme, but it is not the universal panacea for the pub trade.

Consequently, don’t expect busloads of drunken senior citizens, making their way home from the pub, but also don’t expect a massive shift onto public transport, from those who, for a variety of reasons, still prefer to drive. Travelling by bus, takes a certain amount of forward planning, and many people are either too lazy, or don’t quite have the wherewithal to look up bus routes, and check timetables. Dare I say that you have to be a bit of a geek to do this, even though, in my experience at least, it is well worth the effort.

The government have said they would review the effectiveness of the fare cap, at the end of 2024, when a general election is expected to take place. Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures. Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy, which is why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people on to the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.”

That certainly sounds like electioneering on Sunak’s part, but you can’t really blame him for trying, especially give that much else  touched by the Tories, has gone to pot. But let’s give credit where it’s due, as for my part, despite having a bus pass, increase bus usage will go some way to help save threatened routes, and will enable my friends and I to visit and support some of our most attractive and characterful rural pubs, and even a few urban ones, when visiting a different town, or city.