Stagecoach offers single bus fares for £2 as part of national initiative

Stagecoach customers in England are set to benefit from three months of bus fares for no more than £2 for a single journey as part of the Department for Transport’s new fares initiative, through the Government’s Help for Households campaign.

Around 50,000 Stagecoach bus services a day across the country will offer a maximum fare of just £2 for any single journey between 1 January and 31 March 2023.

Stagecoach already offers some of the lowest ticket prices in the UK, but hopes that this new fare scheme will complement its existing range and help to attract new customers to ditch their cars and try the bus over the winter months.

With people up and down the country facing the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, many can save money whilst choosing a more sustainable method of transport. 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% since 2019-20, with the price of tyres increasing by 18% 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 £50m 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 this year. It has also announced plans to increase its electric bus fleet by over 80% in the next 12 months.

Stagecoach has helped to reduce the cost of bus travel with the introduction of a range of flexible tickets, which offer big savings on bundles of tickets, for example, 10 DayRiders for the price of seven, providing great value bus travel for customers and the flexibility to match some of the changing travel patterns seen coming out of the pandemic.

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. This nationwide scheme in England is running in addition to other local fare cap schemes already in place, such as those in Greater Manchester and Merseyside, which Stagecoach is delivering in partnership with local Mayoral authorities in these areas. This scheme replaces the scheme operating in South Yorkshire during November and December 2022.

For more information, terms and conditions and exclusions, click here https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/2-pound-fare