Fares for thousands of bus users in the Selby and Goole area have been capped at £2 per single journey until the end of March, meaning travel will be significantly cheaper for most travellers.
The cap is part of a £60 million government scheme, for bus services operating outside London. However, the scheme is voluntary and not all bus companies are participating. In addition, some routes in some areas are already subject to a £2 cap and other routes such as school buses are excluded. According to the Department for Transport (DfT), the average single bus fare for a 3-mile journey costs around £2.80 outside London but under the new scheme passengers will save almost a third of the single ticket price, with even bigger savings in some rural areas where tickets are more than £5. For most passengers in the Selby and Goole areas participation will be through services provided by Arriva Yorkshire (services 42, 64, 401, 408, 409, 415, 476,493), but it is possible to connect with other capped fare services from other providers remotely. For example, a passenger catching the 415 service from Selby to York for £2 would be able to connect with the Coastliner 840 service to Whitby for a further £2, giving a combined single fare of £4 or £8 return.
In a statement, Arriva said: “(We) are happy to be supporting the Government’s Help for Households initiative and will be capping single fares at £2 from 1st January to 31st March 2023 across all Arriva Bus services operating in England, outside of London. “We hope this initiative helps support the local communities we serve and encourages customers back to bus.” Bus Users, a charity promoting better, more inclusive and accessible public transport links across England has also welcomed the initiative. They said: “This will be welcome news to passengers in areas where the scheme is available and will save people money at a time when literally every penny counts. We would like to see the scheme extended beyond March and rolled out across the whole of England so that everyone, regardless of where they live, can save money on these vital services.” Announcing the cap in September last year, then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Buses are by far and away the most used form of public transport, so ensuring that almost all bus journeys are no more than £2 will assist passengers over the winter months and provide direct help to thousands of households across the country. “ This £60 million boost will mean everyone can affordably get to work, education, the shops and doctor’s appointments. We know people will be feeling the pressure of rising costs this winter, and so we have been working hard this summer to provide practical concrete help that will lower daily expenditure.” The scheme is due to run from New Year’s Day until March 31.
Early morning buses at Selby Bus Station. (05-01-102 ST/CG)
