B&NES Council supports new bus initiatives

West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has announced measures to make public transport more affordable and accessible for all residents, promoting sustainable travel across the region.

The key measures include:

• Most children’s bus fares capped at just £1, instead of rising to £1.30 – saving parents/carers up to £60 per child, per school year, in addition to the two months of free travel offered by Birthday Buses for under-21s.
• Extending Disabled Person’s travelcards so that buses are now free 24/7, rather than just after 9am.
• Extending care leavers’ free bus travel for another year.
• Capping the cost of multi-operator day bus tickets (valid on 11 different companies’ buses) in the region at £7, instead of that fare rising to £8.

Sarah Warren, deputy council leader and cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable travel at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:

“We are thrilled to support these new transport initiatives, which align perfectly with our commitment to improving travel choices by creating a sustainable, accessible and efficient transport network.

The package is set to start on 1 April 2025 and run until 31 March 2026, representing a £1.3 million investment from the Mayoral Combined Authority’s Bus Grant allocation and further funding from North Somerset Council

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