Bus Fares Set To Be Capped At £2 In Major UK City

A UK city is set to face capped bus prices, a move which has seen residents rejoicing. 

The revolutionary change is set to take place across one of the UK's most bustling cities which will see bus passengers no longer being robbed of their pennies.

As well as single journey adult fares potentially being capped at £2, children won't have to pay any more than £1 on buses run by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Manchester Evening News reports.

Within the Northern city, there are currently 30 different transport operators, 150 different ticket types and over 830 services which has resulted in a severely 'fragmented' system for travellers.

Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has since dubbed the cap as being a 'blueprint for city-regions' and it is hoped that Manchester's bus system will soon align more closely with that of London.

The UK capital implemented what is known as a 'Hopper' fare, which allows travellers go on multiple buses within the space of an hour, only paying a total of £1.65 for all of their different trips.

Manchester's proposed £2 fare will work in the same way, compared to previously how if you wanted to get from Middleton to Manchester city centre you would have to pay a whopping £4.50 for the trip.

Manchester's capped bus fares are set to be implemented in West Manchester, parts of Salford, Bolton and Wigan from autumn 2023.

In Spring 2024, areas of North Manchester, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale will follow.

By the end of 2024, South Manchester, other areas of Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford will also have the cap enforced.

Other tickets, such as return fares, are reported as still being in discussion.

The move follows a historic ruling last week, which saw a judge agree to return buses to public control.

Burnham stated that the ruling will allow the people of Greater Manchester to have 'an integrated, accessible and affordable London-style transport system joining together buses, trams, cycling and walking; the Bee Network'.

He explained: "The court ruling means we now have the green light to deliver on our plans to deliver a London-style public transport system. We will make travelling by public transport more appealing, easier and, significantly, put our people before profits.

“Government has signalled its intention to support our ambitions many times over and we now need them to work in partnership with us, to help us turn our shared vision into a reality.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester concluded: "In Greater Manchester we are leading the way and developing a blueprint for other city-regions to follow when it comes to improving intra-city transport and connectivity between our villages, towns and cities.

"My ambition is that soon here in Greater Manchester it will be simpler, cheaper and more reliable to get around on public transport."