Bus fare cap will RISE to £3, Keir Starmer says after MPs slammed ‘betrayal of working people’

BRITS are set to fork out more for bus rides as Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he will scrap the popular £2 fare cap.

The Prime Minister announced fares will jump to a new £3 cap, hitting people in the pocket just before Christmas.

The Prime Minister confirmed the £2 cap will not be extended
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The Prime Minister confirmed the £2 cap will not be extendedCredit: Alamy
Sir Keir Starmer gives a speech to prepare the ground for Wednesday’s Budget
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Sir Keir Starmer gives a speech to prepare the ground for Wednesday’s BudgetCredit: BBC/UNPIXS

The £2 limit, in place since January last year, had kept fares down for millions of passengers.

Blaming the previous Conservative government, Sir Keir said: "The Tories only funded it until the end of 2024.

"That is the end of the funding in relation to the cap.

"I do know how much this matters, particularly in rural communities where there's heavy reliance on buses, and that's why I'm able to say to you this morning that in the Budget we will announce there will be a £3 cap."

The Prime Minister's comments came as he delivered a speech ahead of the Budget on Wednesday.

Setting the tone for the Chancellor's address, the PM said he will defend tax rises “all day long” as he painted a gloomy picture of the state of the public finances.

But he pledged the Budget will put "working people first", reiterating his pledge not to increase VAT, national insurance and income tax.

Ministers have been facing repeated questions over the Government’s definition of “working people” .

But the PM this morning said the working people of this country “know exactly who they are”.

And he described them as those who have been “working harder and harder for years, just to stand still”.

He added: "People who feel ignored as their lives, no matter how hard they work, slide into greater insecurity. Scared of the postman coming down the path — will it be another bill I can’t afford?

“I know some people want to have a debate about this and I know there will always be the exception that proves the rule. Welcome to the wonders of a diverse country!”