The £2 cap on bus fares which was credited with saving an iconic bus route in Yorkshire has been maintained.

The level of the cap had been due to rise to £2.50 from Wednesday, November 1, however, it will now stay at £2 per single journey until the end of next year.

As reported by the Gazette & Herald, the operator of the Coastliner 840 route confirmed earlier this year that the popular service was saved after the Government committed funding to keep the £2 fare cap. The 840 service, which was named Britain’s Most Scenic Bus Route, connects Leeds, York, Malton, Pickering and Whitby,

The £2 fare cap was introduced at the beginning of 2023 to encourage more people to use the bus and to assist operators amid soaring energy prices and data indicating that passenger numbers had not come back to pre-pandemic levels.

North Yorkshire Councillor George Jabbour, who represents the rural division of Helmsley and Sinnington, said: "The £2 bus fare cap is a brilliant initiative and a credible policy that has made a real difference.

“Because I do not have a car, I am a frequent user of buses and other modes of public transport. I find this an efficient way to get from one place to another while answering emails, replying to messages and reading documents using my phone. It is also beneficial for the environment as emissions are lower and energy consumption is reduced when more people share a journey.

“As I have consistently campaigned to support the £2 cap, I warmly welcome the recent decision about this policy. I know first-hand the positive impact that it has achieved. This does not only apply to the 840 and 843 routes that operate in Ryedale and the wider Yorkshire region, but also to other services.”

Last week the government announced an allocation of £6.599 million locally out of a total £31 million funding increase for the North.

The government confirmed it is up to local authorities and bus operators to decide how best to use the funding and said more allocations will be announced in due course.

The government said following the establishment of the new York and North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, future funding will be allocated to the combined authority.

Yorkshire and Humberside’s community services for older people and vulnerable passengers will also receive a 60 per cent funding boost.

The funding increase, made through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), will help keep fares down and has been hailed by charities and vulnerable passengers who have difficulty using regular buses and rely on community services to get around and combat loneliness.