Council                                                           Agenda Item 65

Subject:                      Keep the £2 Bus Fare Cap

Date of meeting:       19th December 2024

Proposer:                   Councillor Davis

Seconder:                  Councillor Earthey

Notice of Motion

Green Group & Brighton & Hove Independent Group

This council notes:

1) The significant benefit that the £2 bus fare cap has provided to residents, making public transport more accessible and affordable for many, especially those on lower incomes;

2) Accessible and affordable public transport is vital to achieving the city’s carbon neutrality goals by 2030 and encouraging sustainable travel behaviours;

3) The removal of the cap is likely to disproportionately impact residents from poorer backgrounds, exacerbating social inequalities;

4) That the removal of the £2 bus cap is likely to reduce the total of number of people travelling by bus, having an impact on the income of local bus companies;

5) Ultimately the responsibility of funding the £2 bus cap in the long-term should lie with the national government.

Therefore, resolves to:

1) Request that a report is brought to a future Cabinet meeting which:

a. outlines the estimated cost of maintaining the £2 bus fare cap locally;

b. explores potential funding streams which could be utilised to support the subsidy, including the Carbon Neutral Fund and the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

2) Request that the Cabinet Member for Transport meet with local bus companies to discuss how we could work together to keep the £2 bus fare cap, at the lowest possible cost to the Council;

3) Request that the Leader of the Council writes to the government, expressing our disappointment at the removal of the £2 bus fare cap, and asking them to reverse their decision.