MP Welcomes End To “Daft” policy.
TAP ON, CAP OFF – LOCAL MP WELCOMES NEW RULES FOR BETTER BEDS BUSES
Your bus ticket will soon work across all local buses, fixing a top gripe for local passengers. That’s thanks to new Government rules, welcomed by MP Alex Mayer.
Also sorted will be daily and weekly fare caps so passengers using their contactless payment cards never pay more than a fixed maximum, however many journeys they make.
Central Bedfordshire Council will also be required to take part in Transport Focus’s annual passenger survey to independently check how local passengers feel services are delivering for them.
The shake-up follows a Government review that found some parts of the country were racing ahead with joined-up ticketing, new tech and greener bus fleets, while others were being left behind.
While these powers have been available to every Council for some time, Central Bedfordshire have not chosen to use them all. Now the best ideas already working elsewhere must be rolled out locally.
Local MP Alex Mayer said: “It is beyond daft when you can’t catch the first bus that arrives because you’ve got a return that only works for a different bus company. That now ends.
“The council now has the money, the powers and a clear Government steer on what passengers should expect. I know local people will be watching closely to see the improvements they deserve.
“If you haven’t tried the bus recently I’d encourage you to hop aboard.”
Central Bedfordshire is part of an Enhanced Partnership which is a legally binding deals between the council and local bus companies designed to improve local services.
There is £9 million in Government funding for Central Bedfordshire buses up to 2029 plus any cash the Council choses to invest. The Government’s new Enhanced Partnerships manual lays out the new clear national minimum standards they will need to meet by March 2027 to access £3 million of that record bus funding.
This August children travel for free on the buses, and the Prime Minister has announced all single bus fares will fall to £2 in January thanks to further Government support.
There are also additional opportunities to use new powers to take even greater control over routes, fares and timetables introduced in the Bus Services Act.
- Rushmere Park Academy children learn life-saving first aid skills
Children at Rushmere Park Academy have been learning some important life-saving skills, thanks to a visit from Mini First Aid Bedfordshire & Luton. In September, children from Reception through to… Read more: Rushmere Park Academy children learn life-saving first aid skills - Household Waste Recycling Centres temporarily pause accepting fridges and freezers
Residents are being asked to delay taking old fridges and freezers to Central Bedfordshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) while a specialist recycling facility clears a backlog following its planned… Read more: Household Waste Recycling Centres temporarily pause accepting fridges and freezers - Inclusive Footballer’s Solid Start
The Adult Leighton Park Rangers/ Yes We Can Inclusive Footballers got off to a solid start at the first Berks/ Bucks/ Oxfordshire Inclusion Football Tournament of the 2026/27 season. The… Read more: Inclusive Footballer’s Solid Start - Lighting Up the Lion
Whipsnade’s White Lion lights up again, connecting generations of local history Whipsnade’s White Lion lit up the hillside as part of the Zoological Society of London’s 200th anniversary celebrations. local… Read more: Lighting Up the Lion - Read the October Magazine edition of Bee Local
It certainly is feeling Autumnal here at the Bee headquarters. The October print edition is popping through the letterboxes right now in the Bee Local distribution area Fortunately you can… Read more: Read the October Magazine edition of Bee Local
