‘Labour is not listening!’ Reeves sparks fury with £3 bus cap hike | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Rachel Reeves has sparked fury by extending the £3 cap on bus fares till 2027. The Chancellor is predicted to verify the extension of the cap past 2025 at Wednesday’s spending evaluation. Paul Kohler MP, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, mentioned: “Household budgets are still really feeling the squeeze, so many will be really disappointed to see that the Government is moving to make the bus fare hike permanent. This will hit those who rely on public transport to get around to their local high street or to work and school in the pocket. People have been telling them they got this wrong, but Labour clearly isn’t listening.

“Meanwhile, vital local bus services are in a death spiral, with rural communities particularly badly hit as routes are slashed. The Government should be heeding Liberal Democrat calls to scrap the bus tax and bring the cap back to its previous level.”

The £3 cap will proceed throughout England till March 2027, it’s understood.

The Government has beforehand mentioned that, with out the cap, fares might rise by as a lot as £12 for a journey between Leeds and Scarborough, or £5.50 for a ticket between Hull and York.

A Treasury supply mentioned: “We understand the cost of living is a priority for the British people. That is why we are investing in Britain’s renewal to make working people better off.”

But the Liberal Democrats criticised the choice to not return to the £2 cap that had been in place between January 2023 and December 2024.

The improve within the cap was introduced on the finances in October, with the Government arguing the decrease fee was not financially sustainable, though some metro mayors determined to fund an extension of the £2 cap of their areas.