Bus Services: Fares
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential impact of trends in the level of bus fares on school attendance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The Department for Transport has made no such assessment. The government recognises the importance of affordable local bus services in facilitating access to education. We have acted to ensure bus services remain affordable by introducing the £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London, and at the Spending Review announced this would be extended by over a year until March 2027.
In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Worcestershire County Council has been allocated £9.4 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce initiatives to reduce the cost of travel for young people.
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire.
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