Stagecoach has confirmed it will continue to offer £2 single fares in England until at least the end of June as part of the government’s Bus Fare Cap Grant (BFCG) scheme.
With BFCG having been extended until the end of 2024, the operator has agreed a funding deal with the Department for Transport for the first half of next year and hopes to confirm ongoing participation as soon as possible.
Stagecoach reports that 84 million of its passengers have benefited from the fare since its introduction in January 2023 and that 50,000 services per day will be capped.
It adds that 23% of passenger it surveyed said they were making trips they otherwise would not have made and that a similar proportion were switching journeys from private vehicles.
Claire Miles, Chief Executive Officer for Stagecoach, says: “We are delighted to continue our participation in the £2 fare offer until at least the end of June 2024, giving more people the chance to see where the bus can take them.
“Around 10 million people in England live within walking distance of one of our bus stops, so we’re hoping that people will take the opportunity to get out of their cars and give the bus a try for the bargain price of just £2 for a single ticket.”
The scheme applies only in England but not in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and West Yorkshire, which have their own local fare cap schemes, nor London, where single fares are less than £2.
Operators which were taking part in the scheme as of 23 November can be found on the DfT website.
