SOMERSET MPs have slammed the government’s “damaging” decision to raise the bus fare cap to £3 early next year.

The current fare cap, which is funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) limits the cost of any single bus ticket across England to £2, as part of a range of measures to encourage bus usage and reduce carbon emissions from cars.

The current cap was due to end on December 31, meaning passengers across Somerset could have seen sharp rises in ticket prices in early-2025 – particularly in rural areas where routes are less commercially viable.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP announced in her first budget on Wednesday afternoon (October 30) that the cap would rise to £3 from January 1 and would remain at this level for the rest of 2025.

But two Somerset MPs have called on the government to reverse this rise, arguing it will discourage bus usage and put further pressure on rural families.

Rachel Gilmour, the Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has also criticised the “bus tax” increase and called on the government to secure better bus services across rural areas.

She said: “Although it was always going to be the case that this Labour government would have to make tough choices, this will have a damaging impact on many in my constituency.

“However, the more pressing issue, which neither Labour nor the Conservatives before them seemed to understand is that in Tiverton and Minehead, it doesn’t matter if the cap from 2025 is £3 as opposed to £2 if there are no bus services in the first place.

“New bus routes are needed now, to connect rural areas across the constituency such as Exford, Withypool, and Winsford, as well as updates and improvements to existing services, like the number 25 and 28 bus routes in the north of the constituency.

“I look forward to meeting with Peninsula Transport next month with my transport advisor David Northey, the former head of strategy at Great Western Railway, as we plan for new transport links across the constituency.

“Only then will we see a boost to our local economy here in Tiverton and Minehead, especially in our struggling high streets.”

Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrat MP for Frome and East Somerset, has launched a petition calling on the 50 per cent increase in the government’s “bus tax” to be reversed.

She argued: “Bus services play in a rural community such as Frome and East Somerset.

“Rural areas are routinely short on access to public transport, and buses play an integral role in people’s lives.

“That is why I am launching the Reverse The Bus Tax petition to present to the DfT and show just how vital buses are to this community.”

The government’s Buses Bill will shortly receive its first reading in the House of Commons, and is expected to give local authorities greater control over bus franchising and service levels.

Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem MP for North Shropshire, has introduced a separate private members’ bill which commits to ensuring every town with a population of 10,000 or more has a regular bus service operating seven days a week, serving local GP surgeries and hospitals.

Ms Sabine added: “Buses are one of the more environmentally friendly options for travel and should be encouraged. This Bus Tax risks the viability of it as an option for those that need it.

“Maintaining and improving access to buses is one of my top priorities and I am committed to holding the government to account to safeguard what is a vital service in Somerset.”

Peter Travis, co-chair of the Somerset Bus Partnership, wrote to the Wellington Weekly News and West Somerset Free Press, and says the £3 fare still presents “good value.”

He said: “Whilst we regret the increase in bus fares to £3, it’s still much cheaper to travel by bus than taking the car. And much better for the environment too!

“What we most need is more Government funding to improve our bus services in Somerset. The new Government has announced it will spend £1 billion to sustain and improve bus services. We now wait news how much of this extra funding will come to Somerset Council.

“Being a rural local authority, our bus routes need funding more than urban routes. Some two thirds of our bus services in Somerset are funded, either by the Government, through BSIP and BSIP+ awards, or by Somerset Council.

“A key aim of this new funding announced in the Budget is to improve bus services. Could a bus routes linking Wellington and Wiveliscombe could result from this initiative?

“That’s why we await news of the funding the Government will allocate to Somerset Council.”

In a separate campaign, local bus user groups are calling for a new bus service between Wiveliscombe and Wellington.

Surveys suggest there is demand for the service to return ten years after it was cut, reconnecting the villages that lie between the two towns.

Conducted by the Wellington and Wiveliscombe bus user groups in 2023, the research found that 78 per cent of those Wellington residents surveyed were in favour of reinstating the bus link between the two towns – the figure was higher (96 per cent) among residents who were asked in Wiveliscombe.

A spokesperson for the Wiveliscombe bus user group said: “We urge people in the local area, regardless of whether or not they use buses, to sign our petition.

“A bus link between the two towns would enable people in Wiveliscombe and Milverton to get to Wellington for dental, optician and hospital appointments as well as for shopping and leisure/social events.

“The infrequency of the current service between Wiveliscombe and Taunton, made worse by recent cuts, means that this could be a very desirable option. 

“For Wellington residents, Wiveliscombe has the attraction of events such as the ten Parishes Festival, local walks, and a weekly market.

To sign Ms Sabine’s petition, visit www.anna4fes.uk/default-64bf73dc62118ffeb205fe28090207bd/reverse-the-bus-tax.