'I'll have to cut back on my food shop' - Derby folk say new bus fare cap will 'hit hard'

An increase to the single bus fare cap is going to 'hit hard', people in Derby have said, with one woman claiming she'll have to cut back on food in order to continue travelling to work.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the 50 per cent increase on Monday, taking fares to £3 from £2. The existing cap was due to expire at the end of December - but the news hasn't gone down well in Derby, a city where millions of journeys by bus take place every year.

Julie Kennilworth, 55, from Ilkeston, said: "It's going to make me struggle, I have to get the bus for work every day and it's a 50 per cent increase.

"I guess I'll just have to buy less on my weekly shop as that takes about £40 out of my monthly budget. It's going to be a struggle, I have more expenses now than ever."

Nigel Wigan, 49, from Oakwood uses the 26 bus most days to get to work. He said: "I use the buses in Derby nearly every day, so do my kids and I'm going to be paying for all of our bus fares so this is going to hit hard.

"I hope they know what they are doing, it's going to make life harder and especially if you want to do multiple trips in one day. It's going to add up even more now.

"I get it was a temporary measure but it was the only thing that had stayed the same price in years."

Inen Inyang, 54, lives in Derby and uses the I4 regularly. He said: "It's going to affect so many people, we are so used to the £2 fee - that price was okay. I go to Ilkeston regularly as well as Nottingham. I think it's going to be bad for people going to hospitals, they need to be able to go cheaply.

Jennifer Brotherton, from Melbourne, added: "I can't believe it. We have bus passes but it is just ridiculous. I'm going to have to watch my money a little bit more."

A spokesperson for one of Derby's main bus operators, Trentbarton said: "We don’t yet know the Government’s terms and conditions of next year’s single fare cap. But if the rules are similar to now, we envisage continuing to offer the capped single fare ticket when it moves to £3 next year. On some shorter journeys our single fares may cost less than £3."

Trentbarton stated that their Red Arrow and night buses would be excluded from the new cap, however.

A spokesperson for the Confederation of Passenger Transport said: "We are pleased that the government has taken steps to implement a managed exit from the £2 fare cap in line with our proposals.

"While it will avoid the dangers of a cliff edge at the end of this year, an increase to £3 will still present challenges for many passengers, particularly those who rely on buses as their primary means of affordable travel. "