Bus scheme guaranteeing £2 single journey fares in Leeds extended as people ditch cars for public transport

The bargain fares were introduced in West Yorkshire more than a year ago in an effort to make travelling across the region easier and cheaper.

Now, it has been confirmed that the initiative will run until at least March next year.

It comes after a survey from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority revealed that more people have been using the buses - with two-thirds saying that it was because of the price cap.

Of more than 1,000 respondents, more than 40% said the fares helped them to manage the cost-of-living crisis, whilst nearly 60% agreed the scheme made it easier to travel.

Tracy Brabin, the Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire, launched the scheme in September 2022. It was quickly followed by a government roll-out of the scheme across the country.

She said: “This success proves that there is an appetite for well-priced bus travel in West Yorkshire.

“Our Mayor’s Fares are helping us build a better-connected region where more people use greener and more sustainable ways to travel so I’m delighted we're able to extend into 2025.”

Half of respondents who said they used the bus more often switched from using cars. And more than half of the people surveyed said the fares saved them money personally.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford City Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “We know the cost-of-living crisis continues to have a major impact on families and individuals across our region.

“So, it is really positive to hear that since this scheme was introduced, more people have used local buses to travel to see friends, loved ones or to work because of the cheaper Mayor’s Fares.”