THE Somerset’s ‘Bus it’ fare cap scheme has been extended until next year.
The £2 bus fare cap will be in place until December 2024, Somerset Council confirmed.
Cllr Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s lead member for Transport and Digital, said: “The £2 bus fare cap scheme (nationally) has been extended until December 2024. The cap had been due to rise to £2.50 at the end of this month.
“We’re very pleased that the scheme, whose extension we pressed for, has been extended at lower rate.
“This will help our local efforts to increase bus use and preserve existing services through initiatives such as BusIt.”
It is understood that the total increase in bus use across Somerset between January and June was 32 per cent, while the £2 fare cap contributed to a 15 per cent rise in bus use in Somerset.
The major fare cut is part of a national initiative funded by the Government aimed at boosting bus use while helping passengers save money.
It was due to finish on June 30, having been extended from the end of March.
But thanks to further funding it was initially extended until October 31.
The latest decision will see the bus fare cap in place until December 2024.
The initiative applies to cross-county services, which means for example you can travel from Street to Bristol for just £2.
Somerset Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership have launched the ‘Bus It’ campaign to encourage more people to use bus services at a time when some routes are under threat due to lack of use.
Visit Bus it – You know it makes sense (somerset.gov.uk) to find out about ticket deals and calculate how much you could save.
You can check here Bus it – You know it makes sense (somerset.gov.uk) to see which operators are currently involved in the scheme.
Struggling bus routes
The council has stepped in to subsidise the struggling 54, 58/58a, 25 and 28 services until the end of March 2024.
But, in the face of massive budget pressures, it cannot commit to supporting the service from April.
Unless passenger numbers rise significantly and the services become financially viable for First Bus South, which operates Buses of Somerset, the risk of the services may be reduced or stopped completely.
The following services all require additional financial support, which the Council can only provide temporarily thanks to the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus funding (BSIP Plus).
First Bus South has signalled it will review the routes before the funding ends next year, taking into account new data on passenger uptake.
Cllr Rigby said: “We’ll be appealing directly to the communities on these routes to safeguard their services by using them.
"The extension of the £2 fare is great news for today’s bus passengers and anyone thinking about getting on board.
“All these routes link key towns and many village communities in between, but simply not enough people are using them.
“In the current financial climate, the council will not be able to subsidise these routes indefinitely and that inevitably means people need to use their buses or lose them.
“If you live in these communities and you’re commuting to Taunton or Yeovil by car it has to be worth your while to think about the savings you can make by using the bus instead with the rising cost of fuel compared to cheap bus fares – less than a latte to get to the centre of Taunton from Langport or Somerton.
“If you do the maths, it’s close to a 50-mile round trip from Taunton to Minehead on the 28 which costs just £4. What else can you buy for that these days that offer that kind of value?”
First Bus South Director James Eustace, said: “We’re working closely with Somerset Council to ensure we provide services that local people can rely on.
"We have been open about the challenges we’ve faced in Somerset, but we’re working hard to address reliability and punctuality through our new network timetable, as well as recruiting more drivers.
"We want to encourage people to use the bus as a cost-effective, greener method of transport.
"We’ll be playing our part by continuing to improve reliability, helping our passengers get to where they need to be.”
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