Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons some bus routes are not included on the government's bus fare scheme.

The £2 Bus Fare Cap has been designed to be as equitable as possible in terms of its support for passengers across England. Two of the key principles of the scheme were that it should include ‘open’ services which allow any member of public to board; and that the service should allow free concessionary travel (as defined by the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme) for the entirety of its length.

Routes that do not meet these principles, for example ‘closed’ school services (defined as a service which would not allow a member of the general public to board), are therefore not eligible for inclusion in the scheme. However, services from participating operators that serve schools; are open to members of the public; and run all year round are eligible for inclusion in the scheme.

Participation in the scheme from operators is voluntary, and in some instances, routes may not be covered because the operator has chosen not to participate. Further information about the scheme can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap.