BUS users across Warwickshire can enjoy £2 bus journeys this winter as Stagecoach gets on board a government initiative.
The Department of Transport has announced that single journey bus tickets will cost no more than £2 for three months from January 1 and March 31.
The initiative, funded by the government’s Help for Households campaign, aims to encourage people out of their cars and onto buses to improve air quality.
But the initiative is not just about more sustainable travel.
It also aims to give people facing the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis a cheaper way to travel.
A recent report by Stagecoach found that motorists replacing some journeys by bus and active travel could save consumers up to £6,000 a year. In addition, the report found that having the right measures in place to encourage people to make the switch, including cheaper fares, could help remove one billion miles of car journeys each week and cut CO2 by nearly 400,000 tonnes per week.
The government scheme also reflects the current pressure on the costs of running bus services, which has seen utility costs increased by more than 40 per cent since 2019-20, with the price of tyres increasing by 18 per cent in the same period. Stagecoach continues to work hard to insulate customers from these supply chain costs as much as possible.
Money from fares goes towards paying for the day-to-day running of services as well as investing in new buses and other customer improvements. Stagecoach has recently announced that around £50 million is being invested in 200 new low emission vehicles across England during the next year, as part of the biggest order being made in new buses across the country. It has also announced plans to increase its electric bus fleet by over 80 per cent in the next 12 months.
Carla Stockton-Jones, UK Managing Director for Stagecoach, said: “We are pleased to be involved in this new initiative by the Department for Transport, which will help so many people at a time where money needs to stretch further and at the same time aims to reduce car use and encourage people onto more sustainable public transport.
“We already offer some of the lowest ticket prices in the country with the average price of a weekly Stagecoach ticket in England being less than £18 per week or £2.60 per day. We hope that this new promotion helps more people to get on board with us, and continue benefitting from our value-for-money tickets after the government scheme has ended.
“However, fares are just one tool that can make buses more attractive. We also need a focus on priority measures which will keep buses out of congestion, speed up journey times, help keep fares low, and ensure buses are reliable, factors which we know are important for passengers and which we are actively working with local and national governments on.”
The scheme means all adult, concession and child single tickets on eligible routes will be capped at £2, with any single tickets previously cheaper than this remaining the same price.
For more information visit https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/2-pound-fare
