Torbay MP calls for £2 bus fare cap to be restored

The government is coming under pressure to re-introduce the £2 bus fare cap as people in places like Torbay face increasing financial challenges

The bay’s Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling told a Commons debate on public transport that restoring the £2 cap would ‘oil the wheels’ of communities like Torbay, a deprived constituency where bus travel is the primary form of public transport.
Up until January this year there was a cap of £2 on any single bus fare, but the level has been raised to £3.
After the debate Mr Darling said: “The opportunity of being able to jump on the bus for a decent journey for £2 is so important, and we are pushing for that to be re-introduced.”
Critics said that raising the cap to £3 for a single journey – £6 for a return – had led people to go back to using their cars instead of public transport.
Mr Darling has also called for changes in the rules around bus passes for disabled people.
At the moment they cannot be used before 9.30am, and campaigners have said that is an obstacle for people trying to get to work or school.
“This is crucial,” he said. “It’s about making it easy for people to get to work.
“The Labour government has been talking about making sure that people with disabilities are in work, and one way of helping with that is clearly giving people affordable access or even free access to buses before they need to be at work.
“There are not many jobs where you can turn up at 10am, whereas that’s the reality of it if you can’t start to use the bus until 9.30.”
The government, which provides the funds to support the bus fares cap, says it has no current plans to go back to a £2 cap.
The current cap was due to finish in December this year, but has been extended to March 2027.