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Harrogate bus operator to continue £2 price cap until October

The Harrogate Bus Company has confirmed the Government-supported £2 fare cap is to continue throughout its network until October.

Harrogate bus operator to continue £2 price cap until October The Harrogate Bus Company has confirmed the Government-supported £2 fare cap is to continue throughout its network until October.

The Government revealed it plans to extend its support to bus operators, which means that a single journey on all parent firm Transdev’s buses, including those run by The Harrogate Bus Company, will remain at just £2 until 30th October.

This equates to a 73 per cent discount on the cost of a journey on its flagship Yorkshire route - The 36 linking Ripon and Harrogate with Leeds.

The announcement also means the fare cap will then be pegged back at £2.50 until November 2024, with a Government review of the initiative’s effectiveness planned ahead of that date.

For journeys on The Harrogate Bus Company and other Transdev buses wholly within West Yorkshire, the £2 fare cap is already in place and will remain so, with support from directly elected Mayor Tracy Brabin, through the Bus Service Improvement (BSIP) programme.

Parent firm Transdev’s Commercial Director Paul Turner said:

“We are delighted to continue our participation in this extended fare cap, not least because we have seen record-breaking numbers of customers choosing to travel with us already, with every likelihood that this will continue.

“On some of our most popular routes, including our Yorkshire flagship The 36 between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, we’ve seen double-digit percentage growth in customer numbers – with especially strong gains on our longer interurban routes like Coastliner, where the savings are most significant."

Mr Turner added:

“Further funding to support our networks is also now confirmed, and this will help sustain our quieter routes. This gives us longer term visibility for our operations, and will further help our customers by keeping the cost of travel low, so they can make our buses their first choice for work and leisure travel.

“Our Transdev Treats vouchers are exclusively available free to our customers and give even more opportunities to save money on admission and refreshments at popular venues. We’re constantly looking to extend this scheme as a unique additional benefit to further cut the cost of family days out by bus and support our region’s visitor economy.

“We currently work with many attractions, including castles and museums, cafes and tea rooms, plus we offer discounts on our City Sightseeing open-top bus tours in York, all with a Transdev Treats voucher available free from the bus driver at the start of a journey with us.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

“Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport, and millions of people rely on these vital services every day.

“That’s why we are investing half a billion pounds to help people save money amid cost of living pressures and continue to level up transport in all parts of the country, doing our bit to help halve inflation and grow the economy.”

Full details of all routes and timetables across The Harrogate Bus Company’s network are available online and on the free Transdev Go mobile app.

Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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