£2 bus tickets Sheffield: Discount fares extended until June - where you can travel for £2

Almost all single ticket prices across England have been capped at £2 since the beginning of the year, with the Government subsidising the cheaper fares through a grant to bus operators. The £2 cap applies to the vast majority of bus services in and around Sheffield, including all Stagecoach Yorkshire services and all but a handful of First South Yorkshire routes. Single fares on trams and tram trains operated by Stagecoach Supertram in Sheffield and Rotherham are also capped at £2.

The Star last month published a list of nine of the most scenic bus journeys starting in Sheffield which passengers could enjoy using the £2 ticket cap, with destinations including Matlock Bath, Bakewell and Buxton.

The £2 cap was due to expire at the end of March but the Department for Transport (DfT) announced today, Friday, February 17, that it would now run until June 30.

A three-month extension to funding introduced at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to keep buses running despite the huge drop in demand was also confirmed. The current deal was due to end on March 31 and the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents bus companies, had warned earlier this week that up to 15 per cent of England’s bus services could be lost were Government funding axed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I want to make bus travel affordable for all, that’s why we’re continuing to cap fares at £2 and protecting local routes, ensuring we have a modern and efficient network that’s accessible for everyone.

“Getting more people onto reliable and affordable buses will strengthen communities and help grow the economy, connecting people to jobs, driving pensioners to see friends and family, and helping people attend medical appointments or access education.

“I’m determined to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the same opportunities to get around easily and can feel pride in your local area which is why protecting our local bus services is so important.”

The Government is providing up to £75 million to extend the £2 fares cap and an additional £80m to protect bus services. The latest DfT figures show the number of passengers using buses outside London remains 19 per cent below pre-coronavirus levels, as of Monday.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport welcomed the funding extension but said it was ‘critical’ to move away from ‘short-term funding fixes’ and find a sustainable settlement’.