Cllr David Kendall: "Ending the £2 Bus Fare Cap Doesn't Make Sense"

Following hot on the heels of scrapping the Winter Fuel Allowance the budget decision by the Government to raise England’s £2 bus fare cap to £3 and then scrap it entirely after next year will leave many Brentwood bus user speechless.

Whilst many residents in our Borough are fortunate to have their own transport there are a large number of people who rely on local bus services for work, college and leisure. A number of local people commute by train to work, however across the country twice as many people uses buses than use trains.

The £2 bus fare cap really did help a lot of “working people” the people Labour say they care about. However raising it by 50 per cent and then killing it off completely will effect far more people than reforming the winter fuel payments. Buses are the quickest and cheapest way to improve transport and help people to get around.

The £2 cap has helped to raise bus use in our Borough and across the country. It has particularly helped those on low incomes, encouraged some people with cars to leave them at home, has been good for the environment and got people back on buses again who haven’t used them for years.

Speaking about the decision, local Borough Councillor and Chair of the Brentwood Bus & Rail Users Association, Cllr David Kendall said:

“To give it some perspective the £300 million yearly cost of the fare cap scheme across the country is the same as two weeks spending on HS2. This Government should be seriously investing in our bus services and the £2 fare cap, not increasing it and then scrapping it. This decision is bad news for bus users, bus operators and anyone who cares about us having a decent public transport system in this country. Hopefully over time Rachel Reeves will reconsider this decision and give our bus services the support and investment they so badly need”.