Bus passengers across the Isle of Wight are set to once again benefit from a £2 cap on single fares from the start of next year after Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed the nationwide scheme is to return.
The Government has announced that most single bus fares across England, outside London, will be capped at £2 from January until December 2027. The move will reverse the current £3 fare cap and is aimed at making bus travel more affordable while encouraging more people to use public transport.
The £2 single fare cap was first introduced on the Isle of Wight on 1st January 2023 after Southern Vectis signed up to the Department for Transport’s national fare cap scheme.
Initially intended to run for just 3 months, the initiative proved hugely popular with passengers and was repeatedly extended by successive governments, allowing customers to make almost any single journey across the Isle of Wight for no more than £2.
However, at the end of 2025 the Government announced that the maximum capped single fare would increase to £3, with Southern Vectis introducing the higher fare across its network from 1st January 2025.
The latest announcement means the lower £2 cap will return for the whole of 2027, subject to operators signing up to the scheme.
Southern Vectis says it intends to participate, although it is still awaiting full details from the Department for Transport.
Southern Vectis Commercial Director, David Lee-King said:
“The £2 single fare cap was very popular, and we welcome its return in 2027.
“We are currently awaiting further details from the Department for Transport, but it is certainly our intention to take part – subject to the terms and conditions, which have not yet been made available to operators.”
The Government says the reintroduced fare cap forms part of a wider package of investment in England’s bus network, with additional funding allocated to support operators and help make public transport a more affordable alternative to travelling by car.
Further details of the scheme, including the terms for participating operators, are expected to be published by the Department for Transport in due course.
