SINGLE bus fares across the Liverpool City Region will remain capped at £2  until next year after the government announced an increase in the limit.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has confirmed the £2 fare will remain in place until next September after Chancellor Rachel Reeves lifted the cap in last week’s Budget. Introduced in 2022, the £2 fare limit had been due to expire at the end of this year.

The new £3 cap will take effect nationally from January, except here in the Liverpool City Region where it has followed Greater Manchester in sticking with the existing fare. Mr Rotheram said he was “proud” to deliver on a commitment to keep bus fares in the region as low as possible.

While the current level of cap came in across England in January 2023, the Liverpool City Region had introduced a £2 cap earlier, with the reduced fares online two years ago. At that time, Mr Rotheram said the limit on fares was “putting money back into the pockets of our residents.”

The new reduced fare was agreed with bus operators in the Liverpool City Region for an initial three-year period. It is funded by the £12m Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) allocation, secured by the Mayor and Combined Authority from the Conservative administration.

Bus travel is the most popular form of public transport in the Liverpool City Region, accounting for over 80 per cent of all journeys made every day. More than 1.6m £2 tickets are bought every month.

In Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham confirmed their fares would remain capped at £2 ahead of Ms Reeves standing at the despatch box. This will last for at least 12 months.

Confirming the £2 cap will remain until next autumn, Mr Rotheram said: “This is fantastic news for passengers and businesses across the Liverpool City Region. Affordable and reliable bus services are key to ensuring that everyone, no matter their income or background, can get to work, access education, or simply enjoy all that our region has to offer.

“When I was re-elected I made a commitment to keep bus fares in the region as low as possible, and I’m proud to deliver on that commitment. Nationally we’re currently operating in a really challenging financial context with the mess inherited from the previous government, but by saving the £2 cap we’re really demonstrating the power of devolution.

“It gives us the freedom to take bold action, ensuring that the decisions we make are directly driven by the needs and priorities of the people who live here. But this is not just about getting from A to B, it’s part of our wider efforts to make clean, sustainable travel more accessible, tackle congestion, and make the Liverpool City Region net zero carbon by 2035.

“Going forward I’ll be looking at how fares will be structured to keep them as affordable as possible as we bring buses into public ownership.”