People can get out and about in Cumbria for just £2, thanks to a new maximum fare being introduced by Stagecoach.
The company is taking part in a national government initiative, which sees most single bus fares in England capped at a maximum of £2 for three months.
It is hoped that not only will the ‘Help for Households scheme’ encourage people to ditch their cars and help improve air quality in towns and cities, but also help people stretch their money a little further.
Stagecoach already prides itself in offering some of the lowest fares in the UK and hopes that the initiative will only help offer even more affordable journeys.
Rob Jones, managing director for Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire, 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, while at the same time aims to reduce car use and encourage people onto more sustainable public transport.
“We hope that this new promotion helps more people to get on board with us and continue benefiting from our value-for-money tickets after the government scheme has ended.”
The Department for Transport scheme also reflects the current pressure on the costs of running bus services, which has seen utility costs increased by more than 40 per cent since 2019-20, with the price of tyres increasing by 18 per cent in the same period.
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 about £50m is being invested in 200 new low emission vehicles across England during the next year, including nine in Cumbria and North Lancashire.
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: “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.”
There are some exclusions in Cumbria & North Lancashire where usual tickets will apply.
The usual tickets will apply to the following services:
S2 West Shore – Barrow Sixth Form College
S3 Ormsgill – Barrow Sixth Form College
S7 Little Urswick – Ulverston School
S33 Lowca – Whitehaven Academy
S34 Bowthorn – West Lakes Academy
S35 Brigham – Cockermouth School
S36 Distington – Workington Academy
40A Morecambe Bus Station – Preston College
41B QKS – Oxenholme
S91 Carlton Grange – Caldew School
S92 Carlisle Bus Station – Caldew School
S93 Roseley – Caldew School
S94 Longtown – Brampton Schools
S95 Corby Hill to Brampton Schools
99 Kendal – Kirby Longsdale school
445 Kendal – Hallgarth
500 Overton – Ripley St Thomas School
501 Morecambe – Ripley St Thomas School
502 Heysham towers – Ripley St Thomas School
504 Sandylands – Ripley St Thomas School
935 Morecambe Clock tower – Ripley St Thomas School
940 Lancaster Bus Station – Preston Bus Station
941 Lancaster Bus Station – Preston Bus Station
942 Lancaster Bus Station – Preston Bus Station
For more information, terms and conditions and exclusions, visit https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/2-pound-fare
