‘Cap fares to make bus journey the first choice’
WEST Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin is pushing to cap all single bus fares across the county at just £2.
The announcement comes a year after Brabin was elected as the region’s first-ever mayor.
A reduction in bus fares was one of her main election pledges and she said the announcement will make bus journeys the ‘first choice’ for people across the region.
If approved by the Department for Transport, passengers will see the changes come into effect from September. Among the other costcutting measures for commuters, Brabin has also promised to slash multi-operator West Yorkshire DaySaver tickets from £5.50 to £4.50.
Examiner reporter Jasmine Norden recently spent £3.50 and £2.90 on two single fares as she travelled across Leeds from Kippax to Pudsey – Brabin’s proposed plan will see these fares cut to just £2 each.
She said: “When I became mayor a year ago, I promised to make bus fares simpler and cheaper across West Yorkshire.
“Through our new Enhanced Partnership with bus operators that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“The proposed £2 maximum fare will make a difference to people’s lives, helping to make bus travel an affordable choice. It will cut the cost of travel for people making journeys over three miles, in some cases by £1.50.
“You can hop on a bus from Marsh to Lindley, Bradford to Keighley or Halifax to Leeds and know that you won’t have to pay more than £2 for your trip.
“And the full roll-out of ‘tap-on, tap-off’ next year means people won’t have to plan their journeys in advance – they can travel on as many buses as they need for the whole day and never pay more than £4.50.
“We’ll also be investing over £25m to develop new bus routes to reconnect those communities left isolated by recent service changes, particularly in our towns and villages, to help people reach health and leisure services, work and learning opportunities.
“Our consultations on which new and existing routes to support will begin next month.
“I want people to see buses as the first choice for the journey they want to make.
“The investments we’re making to reduce fares, develop new routes and introduce new zero emission buses mean they will be a cost-effective environmentallyfriendly way to travel.”