Buses stay capped at £2 for single fares across Somerset until the summer
You can now 'Bus It' across the region until July thanks to the Government extending the scheme
Last updated 9th Jun 2024
You can now travel on the buses for a maximum of £2 for a single journey until July across Somerset, thanks to an extension of the Government's 'Bus It' scheme.
The major fare cut was introduced at the start of the year as way of boosting the use of buses, and was originally set to end by the end of this month - March 31.
Now thanks to further funding it will continue for an extra three months, until 30 June.
It’s welcome news for people across Somerset as the cost of living crisis continues to bite, fuelled in part by high petrol and diesel prices.
Somerset County Council and the Somerset Bus Partnership have launched the ‘Bus It’ campaign to encourage more people to use bus services at a time when some routes are under threat due to lack of use.
The 13 operators involved in the scheme are:
- ATWEST
- Bakers Dolphin
- Community Transport (South West) Ltd
- FromeBus
- Libra Travel
- Mendip Community Transport
- Somerset County Council
- Dartline
- Faresaver Buses
- First South West (Buses of Somerset)
- First West of England
- Hatch Green Coaches
- South West Coaches
Cllr Mike Rigby, Somerset County Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Digital said: “The £2 fare is vital in helping us encourage more people to choose the bus. I wrote to the Secretary of State requesting this extension so it’s great news that this has been extended.
“If we’re going to make bus travel attractive we have to start with making fares attractive. Getting on the bus makes supports our climate change objectives, it could well save you money, and it’s the best way to help preserve bus routes.”
It’s worth remembering that the initiative applies to cross-county services, which means for example you can travel from Street to Bristol for just £2.
You can find out more about 'Bus It' across our region on the Travel Somerset website.