Responding to Keir Starmer’s Q&A in which he announced the £2 bus fare cap will be increasing to £3, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said:

“Keir Starmer’s hike in the bus fare cap is without a doubt a bus tax.

“While this new Government has been left to make difficult choices, they cannot allow the burden of fixing the Conservatives’ mess to be on people and small businesses across the country. 

“The fundamental issue is that neither Labour nor the Conservatives before them seemed to understand is that for rural communities, it doesn’t matter if the cap is £2 or £3 if they don’t have a bus service in the first place.

“Bus routes are the backbone of economic activity in communities across our country – if the Government is serious about growth then it would invest in services which will boost our struggling town centres and high streets.”

Sandwell Liberal Democrats agree with this. Unlike Labour, the Lib Dems have a plan for buses that would promote their use. Buses are the easiest form of public transport to introduce, improve and expand because they require minimal infrastructure investment. Improving bus services is essential if the UK is to reduce CO2 emissions and cut air pollution.

Lib Dem Policy: Connecting communities