Millions of passengers across England will continue to benefit from Government support thanks to an extension on the capping of bus fares at £2, including for bus journeys here on the Isle of Wight.
The Transport Secretary has confirmed the allocation of an extra £80million from 1st April to 30th June to protect vital bus services people rely on for work, education, medical appointments and shopping. It means that bus operators can continue to charge just £2 for a single journey until the end of June.
Originally, the scheme – which Southern Vectis signed up to – was due to run until 31st March.
Southern Vectis customers will now be able to continue to travel on any single journey, on any of the operator’s buses, for £2 or less. They can also use any payment method – including tap on, tap off contactless, the app, and cash. It means a journey from Ryde to Newport and back again will still cost just £4 instead of the usual £7.20, for example.
Andrew Wickham, Southern Vectis managing director, has said:
“I am delighted to confirm that Southern Vectis will continue to offer the £2 fare cap – in line with the government’s announcement that the initiative will be extended,” said Andrew Wickham, Southern Vectis managing director.
“This is about encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and choose sustainable transport instead. Like the government, we want to help reduce congestion and improve air quality across the Isle of Wight.
“With this in mind, Southern Vectis is investing in the bus services of the future. We recently announced an investment of £1.7 million in seven brand new double decker vehicles for our region because we want to make travelling with us an even more enjoyable and comfortable experience.
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“I am looking forward to welcoming new customers on-board over the coming months.”
should ALWAYS be that
And I will still carry on using my much cheaper, much more comfortable, much more convenient, polluting car thanks. You can shove your nasty, inconvenient buses.
And as someone who cannot drive I’ll happily take a bus.
Why are you so aggressive towards… bus prices, lol?
And where exactly was my “aggression”? The report states that the bus company is hoping to get people to abandon their “polluting” cars in favour of taking one of their polluting and inconvenient buses. I simply said I will stick with something far cheaper, more comfortable and more convenient. No “aggression” there. Obviously for people like your good self who don’t drive the temporary price reduction is no doubt welcome. A reason to give up using a car though is just nonsense on the part of the bus company.
If they paid me I still would not use a bus, I have no wish to spend time having to tolerate other people and their purile phone conversations, self entitled children, germs/smells, and the total unreliability of the things. Like most people, I learned to drive to get away from having to use them as fast as I could.
How do you survive in a pub?
Easy, I dont drink and avoid the places for the same reasons.
Totally agree with both of your comments.
Bet you’re fun at parties
Quick lets’s all chip in for your very own oxygen tent and some ear defenders. You must be a fun individual. I guess you never get ill or smell after a hard day at work, if you do work anyway.
This is great news, even I have noticed an increase in user. Much better to have a nearly or full bus than an empty one. Let’s hope it becomes permanent, imagine the number of tourists coming over getting to Newport and finding very little to keep them there so they hop on a bus and go to one of the other towns with something to offer. At least they would have seen the Isle of Wight.
Lets see if spring tourism is going to provide validation to extend it even more, fingers crossed <3
Poor old council will be losing out on car park revenue. Much cheaper to use the bus than lining their pockets.
As a regular bus commuter this offer doesn’t work for me and wouldn’t for anyone travelling daily as the monthly ticket equates to about £3 per day. At £2 per journey and I do 4 a day that would be £8. Agree though for the odd trip here and there £2 is better than £3.60
If the bus company have over a million to invest in new buses are these going to be electric?
Southern vectis….
Please for the love of God turn off the annoying tannoy announcement that calls out every 30 seconds.
“Next stop is ” followed by some small country lane in the middle of nowhere.
It’s irritating and patronising
Or very helpful if you’re not a local here.
You may well find it patronising but hey, get over it because it’s not going away. Many people suffer from visual impairment or are just simply unfamiliar with the area and they do not find it patronising, they’re glad of it.
I will keep driving my Diesel guzzling Merc until
15 minute cities arrive on the Island.