MP Welcomes End To “Daft” policy.

Leighton Buzzard News

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.

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