New Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Bath to launch bus fare cap

Just three days into his new job of running the country, Prime Minister Andy Burnham was in Bath today to launch a £2 cap on bus fares outside of London that will benefit millions of people across the country.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham during the visit | Photo © Bath Echo

The Prime Minister, formerly the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, was accompanied by the West of England’s Labour Mayor Helen Godwin on his visit to First’s Weston Island depot to promote the measure.

Currently, fares have been capped at £3 until the end of March 2027, but today’s move will stop prices jumping next spring and lower fares to £2 from January for the whole year.

During his visit, the Echo asked the Prime Minister, who revealed he is a regular visitor to Bath, what he would be doing to support people in what is seen as an affluent city but has areas of deprivation, very high rents and where many businesses are struggling.

He said: “I have already in my first three days as Prime Minister announced measures that will help people – yesterday the removal of VAT from electricity bills, today a £2 cap on bus fares that will be in place for the whole of 2027.

“Now don’t get me wrong, I am not going to say that this solves the challenge – far from it. However, it shows my intent to help people with measures big and small to take that little bit of pressure off people.

“Further announcements are coming later this week around businesses on the high street and pubs, so people can be assured that my focus is where it needs to be, it’s on the public’s priorities.

The bus fares bus at the First Bus depot in Bath

“The cost of living is by far the biggest issue I think that people are struggling with at the moment, the cost of doing business, I’m looking at all of these things and Bath will benefit as much as anywhere else.”

By his side, Helen Godwin highlighted the high cost of property in the city where lots of people work in the tourism sector which is not well paid, and the unique restrictions on building new homes as Bath as it is double UNESCO inscribed.

She said the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is actively working through the Spatial Development Strategy to look at what can be done around that, including shared ownership and key worker housing.

The Prime Minister was welcomed to Weston Island by the MD of First Bus for the South and West Doug Claringbold, with whom he was at university, and met bus staff and public transport campaigners during his visit, before he returned to Downing Street.