Burnham Caps Bus Fares

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that starting from January 1st 2027, the cost of a single bus ticket for all areas of England will be capped at £2, with the exception of London where a single ticket costs £1.75.

In January 2023, the Conservative party under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak capped the cost of a single bus ticket at £2, but in January 2025 Labour announced they would be raising it to £3, a decision met with heavy public scrutiny. 

This change comes as part of Burnham's focus on tackling the cost of living crisis, stating that: “for too long people have said that cheaper transport isn't an option. I don't accept that”. Indeed, Manchester, the area Burnham used to represent as Mayor, was one of only two places in England which has always kept single bus tickets at £2, the other being Liverpool. 

This scheme is expected to cost the government around £400 million, and there has been doubts over where exactly this money is going to come from. Darren Jones, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury until he was sacked in the recent cabinet reshuffle, has claimed that the scheme is “unfunded”, but recently appointed Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said that the money for it will come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and that lower bus fares will: “help with the cost of living, open up opportunities and keep people connected to work, school, healthcare and their friends and family”. 

Written by Jorja Flitcroft