50% bus fare increase is 'disappointing'

Devon transport boss not happy

The leader of transport for Devon County Council is “disappointed” at the 50 per cent rise in the bus fare cap.

The policy, funded by the government, had capped single fares at £2, but prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has now confirmed this will increase by half again to £3 in this week’s budget.

Cllr Andrea Davis (Conservative, Combe Martin Rural), a cabinet member whose portfolio includes transport, said a smaller rise would have been “far more acceptable” given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and changes to the winter fuel allowance that means not all pensioners will automatically receive that benefit.

“My personal view is that it is disappointing,” she said.

“I accept things have gone up in price, but if the cap had been increased to £2.50, then a return journey is £5.

“But making a return journey £6 instead of £4 now, that seems a big jump.”

She feels the £6 cost of a return journey could be a point where “people start thinking they may as well take the car.”

She continued: “Time will tell, and we’ll see if there is a drop in passenger numbers as a result, but if there is, it tends to have a catastrophic effect on whether we can keep certain routes going,” she added.

The county council already contributes millions of pounds a year to subsidising bus routes, but if passenger numbers fall, then supporting bus routes where there is a decline in users becomes less feasible.

In the last financial year, the council spent just over £12 million subsidising buses to reach rural communities and to help provide services where  commercial ones aren’t viable.

This year, the council is expecting to spend nearly £13.5 million.

“It’s always down to numbers,” Cllr Davis said. “The one message I keep saying is ‘use it, or lose it’, and that’s absolutely true.

“We all want a good network of buses across Devon, and ours is a good network for a rural county, and people need them.”

The bus fare cap scheme was introduced in January last year by the former Conservative administration as a post-pandemic measure to encourage people to get back on public transport.

It was due to end in December, but will now be extended until the end of 2025.