Bus users in the West Midlands will be able to beat the fare rises coming in on Monday 3rd July after National Express West Midlands’ confirmed its continued participation in the Government’s £2 single fare cap until 31 October 2023.

This means anyone doing two journeys in a day will pay just £4, the same as a current day ticket and saving 50p off the day ticket from 3rd July.

The Government initiative, which first launched in January 2023 as part of the Government’s Help for Households scheme, has been warmly received by customers across the region with six million National Express West Midlands passengers taking advantage of the single fare offer.

Passengers using contactless will find their fare cap is automatically applied so they never pay more than they should - as long as they tap on with the same card or device and use the same operator.

A spokesperson for National Express West Midlands said:

“We recognise the challenges that household budgets are facing at the moment so we’re pleased to confirm we’re participating in the Government’s extended £2 fare scheme. This will mean customers across the West Midlands can beat the 3rd July fare rises. If they do just two journeys a day and pay by contactless, their fare will be capped at £4, making sure they never overpay.

“We’re on our customers’ side and continue to work hard to provide great value bus travel on our comprehensive network, making it even easier for customers to ditch the car and switch to the bus.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

“I am really pleased that National Express West Midlands has agreed to maintain the £2 cap, helping to partially offset next week’s fare rises after six years of fares being frozen.

 “Buses are the backbone of public transport in the West Midlands with 200 million journeys a year, and so we absolutely must protect our existing bus network from deep cuts. But we have to do it in a way that protects people’s pockets as best as possible during these incredibly challenging cost of living times.

 “The £2 single fare cap helps do exactly that, and I will continue to work with National Express West Midlands to keep fares low and improve services across the region.”

National Express West Midlands recently announced changes to tickets and fares from 3rd July.

While an all day bus ticket will increase by 50p to £4.50, it remains the cheapest of any city region in England. A weekly pass will be £17, a £2 increase from £15 currently and paying by Direct Debit remains the most cost effective way to travel with a monthly price of £55.

It is the first price rise since 2017 for the majority of National Express West Midlands fares and will protect the bus network in the face of rising costs. The day ticket remains cheaper than in 2017 and some fares are even the same price as they were nearly 10 years ago.

The £2 adult fare cap will continue to be available to all customers purchasing single tickets via the National Express West Midlands mTicket app or on-board using cash or contactless between now and 31 October 2023.

For more information about National Express West Midlands bus tickets and services visit the website.