Richard Holden on the bus fare cap, 18 March 2026

The statement

First they abolished the much-loved £2 bus fare cap, which the Conservatives had pledged at the general election to continue for the entirety of this Parliament: they have put bus fares up by 50%.

Richard Holden, 18 March 2026. Source

What the sources report

• Department for Transport, £3 national bus fare cap reports national bus fare cap, England, single fare (from 1 January 2025): £3 per single fare^src
• Department for Transport, press release of 1 January 2025 reports national bus fare cap, England, single fare (before 1 January 2025): £2 per single fare^src
• Department for Transport, £3 national bus fare cap reports national bus fare cap, England, single fare (announced for 1 January 2027): £2 per single fare^src

Notes

The Department for Transport says single bus fares in England were capped at £3 from 1 January 2025, replacing the £2 cap.

The department said in January 2025 that fares between £2 and £3 that had been capped at £2 would not all rise to £3, with increases limited to inflation.

The department has announced that single fares will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027.