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21
Feb 2023
Harrogate bus operators confirm £2 fare cap extension
Photograph: Harrogate Bus Company
Bus companies in the Harrogate district have confirmed they will take part in an extension to the £2 fare cap.
The move comes in line with a government announcement that it had extended the cap until on single tickets until June this year.
The scheme was introduced at the start of January and was due to finish at the end of March.
But the Department for Transport announced last Friday that it was providing £75 million to extend the initiative.
Paul Turner, commercial director at Transdev, said Harrogate Bus Company would take part in the extension.
He said:
“We’re delighted to see to see that the Department for Transport has announced that the £2 fare cap will be extended until the end of June.
"So far during the fare cap, we have seen 11% extra customers on some of our routes, compared to customer numbers in November, and we’ve also seen the busiest day in the history of our company.
"The three month extension to the cap is bound to be good news for our existing customers, and we hope it will continue to encourage new customers out of the car and onto the bus.”
Read more:
- Bilton bus services to merge under new route changes
- Government extends £2 bus fare cap for three months
- North Yorkshire bus routes may avoid financial ‘cliff edge’, says transport boss
Meanwhile, Craig Temple, managing director at Connexions Buses, said the operator would also continue with a £2 cap on fares.
The £2 cap has reduced the cost of a 29-mile journey from Ripon to Leeds on the 36 bus by 73 per cent from £7.50 to £2, while the cost of a ticket from Harrogate to Bradford on the Flyer A2 has fallen by 63 per cent from £5.40 to £2.
Ministers hope the initiative will reinvigorate bus services amid fears many routes will be cut when funding runs out.
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