Millions of bus passengers will face a costly start to the New Year as fares jump by 50 per cent from today.

Single ticket fares across most routes in England have risen from £2 to £3 after the government announced plans to increase the cap on fares in its Autumn Budget.

It marks the first time fares have increased since the cap was launched two years ago. 

Over 120,000 people signed a petition launched by Zarah Sultana in November, calling for fares to remain at £2.

Speaking in Parliament that month, the Labour MP said: “ One young person shared how rising fares makes it increasingly difficult for them to get to college, while another described public transport as a vital lifeline against loneliness.

“Affordable public transport is essential not only to alleviate economic hardship, but also to address the climate crisis.”

Local transport authorities can keep the cap lower if they subsidise it themselves or fund their own schemes.

Manchester’s Labour Mayor Andy Burnham announced that single fares will remain at £2 “for the whole of 2025 but subject to a mid-year review.”

The same price will also remain in West Yorkshire until the end of March. 

Fares elsewhere that would be below £3 without the cap are due to rise no more than inflation.

Local transport minister Simon Lightwood said that Labour was making sure that fares are capped at the “lowest point possible,”  enabling savings of up to 80 per cent on some routes.

But Silviya Barrett, from Campaign for Better Transport, said the rise will still result in a “costly start to 2025 for many people.”

She called on the government to “look for a long-term replacement for the scheme from next year to avoid any further rises.”