Whilst the Government considers the way forward for bus services and whether to continue the £2 fare cap beyond December, one Midlands operator says that the fare cap policy has had a positive influence on passenger numbers since it was introduced.
Independent operator Centrebus, which has depots in Leicester, Grantham, Luton and Buxton, says it has been reviewing passenger numbers since the start of the £2 fare capping scheme. Managing Director David Brookes explained: “Over the past two years the numbers of buses at our 4 depots has remained relatively constant but we have seen an increase in passenger numbers ranging between 27% and 52% dependent on location. We are part of, and have benefited from, the ground breaking Bus Partnership in Leicester, innovative reductions in weekly and monthly ticket prices in Luton, and of course the £2 fare cap throughout our network. The overall increase in patronage across the company is around 40% (July 2022 compared to July 2024) which is very pleasing. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this growth, we believe the £2 fare cap has been one of them.”
