£2 bus fare extension welcomed by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

A £2 cap on single bus fares will continue until June 30, the government has confirmed.

Introduced in January 1, the initiative had been due to run out at the end of March, but the Department of Transport has confirmed a three-month extension, funded by £155million.

It is designed to drive up bus use, which us down by nearly a quarter compared to before the pandemic.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, backed the decision.

Dr Nik Johnson, the Labour mayor, said: “I welcome this move by the government to make bus travel more affordable. Opening up travel will help grow the economy by allowing people to get to work and help communities to avoid social isolation and access education and healthcare.

“I know from the emails I have received and the people I have spoken to how essential buses are to our communities, and officers at the Combined Authority are continuing to look at all of the options available to us to protect them for the future.”