Bus prices are being hiked for millions in England for first time in three years
BUS fares are set to soar to a historic high in November, affecting millions of workers.
A single adult bus and tram fare in London will rise by 10p to £1.85 from next month, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.
It means the cost of fare has gone up by 35p alone in the last 10 years, although there has been a freeze on price hikes in place since March 2023.
Those with concession cards, like 16+ Zip Oyster cards or the Jobcentre Plus card, will also have their fares increase by 5p when the new prices come into effect on November 1.
In a blow to millions of people who use London’s bus and tram network every day, the hike will also affect the Hopper fare, which allows travellers to pay a single flat fare for unlimited journeys within an hour.
The daily bus and tram cap will increase to £5.55 from £5.25.
Originally, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan was set to hike prices in July.
But he extended the price freeze until November, after TfL said it was “an emergency cost-of-living measure to support Londoners on the lowest incomes”.
Price caps for tube, rail and Travelcards will remain frozen until March next year, TfL added.
Meanwhile, a new £2 price cap for all single bus tickets in England will come into force from January 1 2027, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced.
The voluntary scheme will see millions of people across England able to access single bus tickets for £1 less than the current £3 cap – but it won’t apply to every single bus route.
School buses, buses that only run on school days and some other services won’t be subjected to the £2 cap, which will run until December 31, 2027.