BUS PASSENGERS can beat the fare rise after National Express West Midlands confirmed its continued participation in the Government’s £2 single fare cap until October.
Single fares had been due to rise to from Monday (July 3), but following conversations with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and the Department for Transport (DfT), the operator has confirmed it will be maintaining the £2 cap.
This means anyone doing two journeys in a day will pay just £4, the same as a current day ticket and saving 50p off the day ticket.
The Government initiative, which first launched in January 2023 as part of the Government’s Help for Households scheme, has been warmly received by customers across the region with six million National Express West Midlands passengers taking advantage of the single fare offer.
Passengers using contactless will find their fare cap is automatically applied so they never pay more than they should – as long as they tap on with the same card or device and use the same operator.
A spokesperson for National Express West Midlands said: “We recognise the challenges that household budgets are facing at the moment so we’re pleased to confirm we’re participating in the Government’s extended £2 fare scheme.
“We’re on our customers’ side and continue to work hard to provide great value bus travel on our comprehensive network, making it even easier for customers to ditch the car and switch to the bus.”
Until now those swapping between services and routes provided by multiple bus companies had to pay a premium which, for example, would add an extra £5 to the cost of a four-week ticket.
But from Monday passengers will pay no more than the cost of any single operator’s regular fare – making it easier to hop on any bus provided by any operator.
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I am really pleased we have been able to limit the impact both with the £2 single fare cap and our multi-operator tickets.
“With more than 200 million journeys a year, buses are the backbone of public transport in the West Midlands and key to cutting down car use, congestion, and carbon emissions. That is why we remain wedded to improving services for passengers, underlined by the ticket changes starting on Monday.
“The £2 single fare cap, the removal of our multi-operator premium, and the simplification of ticketing should all make a tangible difference to passengers – whilst we are also continuing to work with National Express on a commitment to protecting the existing bus network.”
For more about National Express West Midlands bus tickets and services click here.
