Yorkshire authorities awarded more than £60m to boost bus services

Mayor Tracy Brabin has confirmed that West Yorkshire bus fares will stay at £2 into the new year, as the government announced more than £60 million in funding for the region.

Following an announcement in the Budget of almost £1 billion to bus services across England, the Department for Transport has now confirmed how the funding will be split across Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire has received the biggest pot of money, with £36.1m going towards its bus service improvement plan for the coming year.

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The mayor explained: “We are committed to keeping bus fares as low and affordable as possible, while investing in protecting the bus network across the region.

"We know that in order to deliver on the growth mission we must have a better-connected region. 

“Our mayor’s fares scheme has helped get more people using buses in West Yorkshire, and I’m pleased to confirm that the £2 fare will be extended until the end of March.”

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Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh on the bus at ARU PeterboroughSecretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh on the bus at ARU Peterborough
Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh on the bus at ARU Peterborough

A full West Yorkshire Combined Authority meeting will take place on 29 November, where bus fares for beyond March 2025 are expected to be set.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said that the Government “had to strike a balance” when deciding whether to increase the bus fare cap or introduce new services.

The Sheffield Heeley MP explained: “We had to strike a balance between stepping in and protecting the fare cap at £3 and adding in additional services.

“The biggest thing that keeps people off the bus is they don’t have a bus that turns up.

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“Whole villages and towns don’t have a bus service before 9am or after 5pm.

“We made the decision to step in with a billion pounds’ worth of local funding in order to add on additional services and improve their reliability.”

In South Yorkshire, Mayor Oliver Coppard said his region’s £17.6m of funding would go towards keeping “vital bus services on the road”.

Tracy Brabin has confirmed bus fares will be capped at £2 until March 2025Tracy Brabin has confirmed bus fares will be capped at £2 until March 2025
Tracy Brabin has confirmed bus fares will be capped at £2 until March 2025 | WYCA

He revealed that over the past decade South Yorkshire has lost 42 per cent of its bus miles, while a quarter of the network is supported by public money.

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Ahead of the Budget, Mr Coppard told The Yorkshire Post that getting additional support with the bus network was his main priority.

“No single funding round was ever going to fix all our problems, but this money is vitally important and going forward we are determined to work with the government on a long-term plan to give our communities the world class public transport system they deserve,” he said.

“That’s why we’re moving at pace through the bus franchising assessment process and why we’re currently running a public consultation on those plans.”

He assured customers that the average price of a bus ticket will remain well below £3, and added that “our ambition over the next few years is to get fares even lower”.

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York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was awarded more than £12 million from the DfT.

The mayor, David Skaith, said: “The Government’s focus on providing for areas that have been historically underserved, such as our rural areas and small towns, will help us to deliver on our priorities of improving rural connectivity and creating an integrated transport system that works for everyone.

“I’m looking forward to working with our partners, North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, to make the most of this investment in our region.”

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