Bus fares are capped to help with rising costs

BUS fares in Barnsley will be capped at £2 from next month as the Mayor of South Yorkshire sets out ‘bold plans’ to help residents during the cost-of-living crisis.

The price freeze will apply across the borough for more than two months, before a national £2 cap on fares between January and March.

The £600,000 worth of funding from the Mayoral Combined Authority will see passengers save up to 50 per cent on some journeys.

Oliver Coppard said: “As we head into winter, I know just how many people in South Yorkshire are worrying about feeding their families, heating their homes, and affording the very day to day basics as the cost of living continues to spiral.

“Public transport is part of the solution. That’s why we’re not just introducing the £2 fare cap early here in South Yorkshire, we’re extending it to include trams.

“Because while the government’s temporary fare cap is welcome, it doesn’t go far enough to support the thousands of people in our region who rely on our buses and tram network.

“Alongside the Zoom Beyond fares at just 80p for young people, we now have some of the best public transport fares in the country.

“We have a broken public transport network here in South Yorkshire but bit by bit we’re making things better for the travelling public.

“This is just another step on that journey.”