'Labour isn't on your side' ...Starmer slammed for 50% hike in bus fare cap

THE Prime Minister provoked widespread fury ahead of tomorrow's Budget by hiking the bus fare cap from £2 to £3.

- Martyn Brown

Sir Keir Starmer's deeply unpopular decision, which will hit travel routes across the country, is a hammer blow for commuters.

It comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget is widely expected to clobber people with up to £40billion in punishing tax rises.

Speaking in Birmingham yesterday, Sir Keir said the current cap was funded only until the end of this year.

He added: "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 that in the Budget we will announce there will be a £3 cap on bus fares until the end of 2025, because I know how important it is."

The previous £2 cap, introduced by the Tories, had kept travel costs down for millions of passengers.

Conservative MP Richard Holden said Labour made the decision to hike the cap by 50% to pay for swingeing tax rises, warning it was proof that "Labour isn't on your side".

Commuter groups also slammed the price hike for buses, used by around 3.4 million people in England. Silviya Barrett, director of policy and research at Campaign for Better Transport, said the £2 limit had "really helped" people.

She added: "We have had some supporters who have saved about £100 a month."

The Confederation of Passenger Transport said raising the cap from £2 has avoided travellers facing a "cliff edge" at the end of this year.