Short bus journeys are to be capped at £1 by the council for the next few months, starting on Sunday (1 December).
Full details have yet to be published but Brighton and Hove Buses said: “To check what journeys you can make for £1, you can check out our journey planner. The prices will not update until (Sunday) when the fare cap goes live.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said that it was “capping short single journeys around the city at just £1” until Friday 31 January 2025.
Nationally, the current £2 single bus fare cap is due to expire at the end of the year, going up to £3 for a year from the start of January.
On the £1 local cap, the council said: “Working with all the local bus operators and using funding from the council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), it means cheaper travel for people during one of the most expensive times of the year.
“The offer is available through tap-on tap-off where the operator provides this option or directly from the driver through contactless card or cash purchase when boarding.”
The council’s cabinet member for transport Trevor Muten said: “I’m so pleased we’re able to use money from our Bus Service Improvement Plan to fund this offer.
“(It) will make a big difference throughout December and January which is always an expensive time of year.
“Affordable bus travel for our local communities is very important to us. This offer will make it cheaper to access shops and services, as well as to connect with friends and family living close by.”
Councillor Muten added: “Brighton and Hove has a fantastic bus network and we’ve worked closely with local operators to make this a reality.
“Bus travel is one of the quickest and most sustainable ways of travelling around the city and making it cheaper will benefit everyone.”
Brighton and Hove Buses managing director Ed Wills said: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to cap short journeys at £1 this winter in partnership with Brighton and Hove City Council.
“Keeping bus travel affordable for our local communities remains one of our top priorities and this citywide fare cap for short journeys will help people stay connected for less throughout December and January.”
The council added: “The fare offer has been made possible thanks to the Brighton and Hove Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which is funded by the Department for Transport.”
The BSIP aims to
• grow passenger numbers
• increase bus passenger satisfaction levels
• improve bus reliability
For more information about the BSIP, click here.
It would be even better if B&H Buses looked at improving the number 46 bus service around Southwick Square to Hadrian Avenue. This is the only bus that serves that area, and there are a great many elderly people who rely on the bus. On a regular basis, when the bus is running late, it is diverted up Southwick Street, completely missing out Southwick Square, Southwick Green and Hombush. The excuse is that the drivers are only allowed to drive for a certain amount of time, and they will overrun their time. It doesn’t occur to B&H buses that they run, what is meant to be, a public service, and they should be looking at how to deal with such issues. They shouldn’t be abandoning people at the bus stop.
I think I can speak for most people who use the bus in saying a £1 ticket for short journeys isn’t actually a very cleaver way to use the money.
I would much rather see a 25X run out at least as for a Sackville road, or just extend the 28/29s to hove. There still is no cross town fast buses. 1X is decent but means you have to change at the old stein…