Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department provides for discounted bus travel in Solihull.

Whilst decisions on fares offered on commercial services are for bus operators to make, the Government is providing up to £135 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January until 30 June. Over 140 operators are participating in the scheme, covering more than 5,000 routes, including in Solihull.

The Government is also providing over £1 billion to support the delivery of local Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP), which will include measures to introduce lower bus fares. West Midlands Combined Authority have been allocated up to £87.9 million to deliver the measures outlined in its BSIP.

The Government also provides over £200 million every year to bus operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant to help keep fares down and enable operators to run services that might otherwise be unprofitable and could lead to cancellation.