Call for Cheshire East to promote extension of £2 bus fare cap

The £2 fare cap was originally intended to run until the end of October.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced during his speech at last week’s Conservative Party conference, that it will be extended until December 2024.

The scheme is one of a number which will be funded from the £36bn saved from scrapping the northern leg of HS2.

Cllr Allen Gage (Image: Cheshire East Council)Cllr Allen Gage (Willaston, Con) has put forward a notice of motion to next Wednesday’s (October 18) meeting of the full council calling on the director of highways to develop and launch a publicity strategy to locally promote the extension and usage of the £2 bus far cap.

Cllr Gage told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s not just to make people aware of the scheme. We need to get more people using the buses.”

Two years ago it was reported that Cheshire East was in the bottom 10 local authority areas for people using buses.

Cllr Gage said this has adversely affected the council when applying for funding for bus improvement schemes.

He said if the buses have more passengers there is more chance the council will be successful when applying to the government for funding.

The notice of motion is expected to be referred from full council to a future meeting of the highways and transport committee.