By Tom Austin-Morgan

According to the Department for Transport’s evaluation of the £2 bus fare cap, the scheme “contributed approximately a 5% increase in bus patronage” in its first 10 months, proof that lower fares work. But the move to a £3 cap from January 2025 exposes a simple truth: keeping public transport affordable is costly.

Former Minister for Transport, Louise Haigh said of the £3 cap: “We are providing funding of over £150 million to enable the introduction of the cap. This is part of a £1 billion funding boost for buses to help local areas deliver high quality, reliable bus services and protect the vital routes that so many people rely on. Improving the reliability and number of services and routes is essential to encouraging more people to use buses.”

Greater Manchester is going further by retaining its locally-funded £2 Bee Network single fare through 2025. Mayor Andy Burnham calls it a “low-fare, high-patronage system similar to the one that has brought higher growth and productivity to London” enabled by franchising and reinvested farebox surplus. 

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “While it is still early days, since buses were brought back under local control there has been a 14% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers, buses are more punctual, fares are more affordable and we have introduced hugely popular 'tap and go' payment with millions of journeys being made using it.”

Read more: How Manchester’s Bee Network is being replicated around the UK.

This success is paving the way for the government, through its Bus Services Bill, to help other parts of the UK to learn from the Bee Network, improve their own public transport services and unlock the benefits in their areas.

Keeping fares affordable is key

Rail has its own cost challenges. Regulated fares in England and Wales have risen by up to 4.6 % since March 2025. The Campaign for Better Transport said people were being "priced off the railways" by fare increases. But some operators and devolved nations are seeking alternative measures.

East Coast operator LNER is attempting to tackle complexity by introducing its ‘70min Flex’ ticket as part of phase 2 of its Simpler Fares scheme. The 70min Flex ticket allows passengers to start their journey up to 70 minutes earlier or later than the original booking time if needed.

In May, Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, announced the removal of peak fares on ScotRail services from the 1st September 2025, a decision Swinney said, “will put more money in people's pockets and mean less CO2 is pumped into our skies."

Wales, meanwhile, promotes Multiflex – 12 singles for the price of 11 – to hybrid commuters. These tickets are valid for three months after purchase and can be used to travel one way between the chosen origin and destination at any time of the day.

Northern Ireland’s integrated iLink smartcard tackles both multi-modal friction and household budgets. “If you travel by bus and train within specified zones, using iLink could be better value for money than buying separate bus and train tickets,” Translink claims, bundling unlimited travel within certain zones.

Affordable fares are not a silver bullet, but UK case studies demonstrate practical levers – regulation, integration, and simplification that can keep costs in check and passengers on board – are key as the sector races toward net zero mobility.

Image: Scotrail passenger trains in the Highlands of Scotland. Credit: Shutterstock.