A journey for every man, woman, and child in England: Go-Ahead sells 60 million bus tickets at £2

Go-Ahead’s bus companies have sold a £2 bus ticket for every man, woman, and child in England since the country’s nationwide bus fare cap was introduced by the Government at the beginning of 2023.

Ticket sales have reached 60 million across the group’s eight regional bus networks – surpassing the English population, which is 56.5 million according to the Office for National Statistics.

The Department for Transport’s “Get Around for £2” scheme has made bus travel cheaper on all of Go-Ahead’s regional bus companies – which have networks stretching from Cornwall to Northumberland.

The biggest seller of discount tickets in Go-Ahead’s network is Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus, which has carried more than 15 million passengers at £2. All of Go-Ahead’s regional bus companies outside London and Manchester are participating in the scheme.

Longer routes have proven particularly popular under the scheme. Journeys showing big increases in passenger numbers include:

• Metrobus routes 270-273 - Crawley and East Grinstead to Brighton – a 30% increase in passenger numbers
• Carousel Buses route 102 – High Wycombe to Heathrow Airport – a 40% rise in customers
• East Yorkshire Buses’ X46 service – Hull to York – a 43% increase in passengers
• Salisbury Reds X3 - Salisbury to Bournemouth - a 25% jump in passengers

Martin Dean, Go-Ahead’s Managing Director, Regional Bus, said:

"In just over a year, we’ve sold a £2 bus ticket for every man, woman and child in England. That’s great news – it shows that the bus fare cap has encouraged our regular customers to get out and about more frequently, and it’s attracted new passengers onto our buses.

“Longer bus services between towns and villages are proving particularly popular at £2. The success of this scheme is a reminder of just how important buses are in connecting communities and helping people to access vital local services.”

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman said: “The number of people who are saving money through our get around for £2 fare cap is continuing to grow and grow - with fares in England, outside of London, falling by over 6% and by nearly 11% in rural areas.

“It is clear getting around for £2 has got people back on our buses, better connecting our communities, supporting the economy across the country and giving people the freedom to travel and save some cash while they do.”

Participating Go-Ahead bus companies include:

• Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus
• Go South Coast – Bluestar, Morebus, Southern Vectis, Salisbury Reds, and Swindon’s Bus Company
• Go South West – Plymouth Citybus, Go Cornwall, Go Devon and Dartline
• The Oxford Bus Company – including Carousel Buses, Thames Travel and Pulham & Sons
• Go East Anglia – Konectbus, Hedingham and Chambers
• East Yorkshire Buses