Following Keir Starmer’s confirmation that Rachel Reeves will announce in the Budget on Wednesday that the £2 single bus fare cap will be increased to £3 in the New Year, Exeter Green Party campaigner, Thomas Richardson, said:
“What we need is a budget that puts us on the road to a fairer, greener transport system. Axing the £2 single bus fare cap takes us in completely the wrong direction. Increasing the cap to £3 is a massive cost-of-living hike for those reliant on buses and sends out totally the wrong signal on encouraging a shift from car travel to public transport.”
Green Councillor for Heavitree ward, Carol Bennett, added:
“As a non-driver with a disability I rely heavily on buses, as do many people in the city. After Stagecoach shortened many of their routes in Exeter and have refused to allow a single ticket to be used across multiple services over a particular time period, this hike could mean someone wanting to get across the city will now need to pay £6 to do so. As a former bus driver, I hope Labour leader Phil Bialyk will take the government to task over this.”