MAYOR’S FARES COME INTO FORCE ACROSS SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Published 7 November 2022 at 4:30pm

Passengers in South Yorkshire can travel for less as Mayor Coppard’s £2 fare cap comes into force on buses and trams, part of bold plans to combat the cost-of-living crisis.

The price freeze brought in last week (1 November) - on any bus or tram ride anywhere in South Yorkshire - comes more than two months ahead of a planned national £2 cap on bus journeys between January and March.

The £600k boost from the Mayoral Combined Authority will see passengers save up to 50% on some trips and slash the price of over 700,000 journeys that cost more than £2. It comes as the Mayor sets out ambitions to fix the regions’ broken public transport system.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said “As we head into winter, I know just how many people in South Yorkshire are worrying about feeding their families, heating their homes, and affording the very day to day basics as the cost of living continues to spiral.

“Public transport is part of the solution. That’s why we’re not just introducing the £2 fare cap early here in South Yorkshire, we’re extending it to include trams.

“Because while the Government’s temporary fare cap is welcome, it doesn’t go far enough to support the thousands of people in our region who rely on our buses and tram network. Alongside the Zoom Beyond fares at just 80p for young people, we now have some of the best public transport fares in the country.

“We have a broken public transport system here in South Yorkshire but bit by bit we’re making things better for the travelling public. This is just another step on that journey.”

Bus and Supertram journeys which already cost under £2 will not be affected. The move follows a £12.3 million rescue package from South Yorkshire’s Mayoral Combined Authority to protect bus routes and school services from cuts by operators.

For more information visit www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/farecap