Will the Welsh Government commit to not intervening in the implementation of the UK Government's bus fare cap on cross border bus services?
The UK Government has confirmed a £2 cap on local bus fares will be introduced in England only, for a twelve-month period commencing in January 2027. This will be funded through a reprioritisation of funding between UK Government Departments. Whilst the UK Government has confirmed that this will give rise to the award of additional ‘consequential funding’ for the devolved governments, we are expecting confirmation of the actual amount of additional funding for Wales will be confirmed in UK Governments Autumn Budget Statement which is due on the 28 October 2026. From this point Welsh Ministers will then make decisions on how best to use any additional funding to best support the delivery of our wider Welsh Government priorities.
In the meantime, our focus remains on providing a very comprehensive concessionary travel scheme, which offers free travel for all eligible residents over the age of sixty as well as disabled people on local bus services in Wales without any time restrictions. We also currently offer a £2 cap on local bus fares for all young people aged between five and 21 years, and this has been extended until the end of financial year 2026-27.
At present we have no plans to provide additional funding to bus operators in Wales to enable them to offer a £2 cap on bus fares for adults aged over twenty-one travelling on cross border local bus services within Wales from 1st January 2027.