- Andy Burnham has pledged a £2 bus fare cap as part of his efforts to lower living costs.
- The funding for the cap has been criticized, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander failing to confirm whether interest would be due on climate loans, leading to accusations of unfunded commitments.
- Northern Ireland will receive additional money, likely around £10m to £15m, from the bus fare freeze in England.
- Stormont ministers are not obliged to spend the money on public transport; they set their own policies and priorities under devolution rules.
- Translink, Northern Ireland's public transport company, faces budget pressures and said it would have to take unspecified actions.
Andy Burnham has pledged to cap bus fares in England at £2 from January 1, 2024, until the end of 2027, a move expected to cost over £500m. This initiative aims to alleviate transport costs amid rising inflation, although critics question its funding sources.1
The funding for this cap will derive from various net zero projects and climate finance, with £454m allocated from these sources and an additional £50m from the Department for Transport. However, Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, faced scrutiny over the specifics of the funding, stating, “The detail will need to be worked out. We wanted to make the announcement today.”
In Northern Ireland, public services are set to receive a small amount of funding, estimated between £10m and £15m, although local ministers are not mandated to use this for public transport. Critics, including Sir Mel Stride, have accused Burnham of failing to clarify the funding sources for his policies, with concerns raised about the sustainability of such initiatives.
Burnham, reflecting on the state of public transport, stated, “What we did with our buses is a sorry example. When services were sold off and communities lost a say, fares went up and passenger numbers fell.” He acknowledged that while the new measures will help, more action is needed to address ongoing transport issues.
“Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander failed five times to say if interest would be due on climate loans, drawing accusations of unfunded commitments. Burnham called bus deregulation a 'sorry example' of wrong turns, saying the measures are 'just the start' of a plan to lower living costs.”
