Torbay commuters could be clobbered by raise in bus fare cap

Bus commuters in Torbay may feel the impact of what local Liberal Democrats are calling a “bus tax” following the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3. 

The change, they argue, is equivalent to a 1p rise in income tax for regular bus users.

According to analysis by the Liberal Democrats, the increase could add an estimated £448 per year to the costs of an average Torbay commuter who uses the bus daily. 

This additional expense, they note, amounts to a total tax burden comparable to paying £5,420 in annual income tax—9 per cent higher than the current £4,972 paid by a median earner on an income of £37,430.

Local Liberal Democrats are urging the government to reverse the fare cap increase and maintain the £2 bus cap, arguing that Torbay commuters should not bear additional financial strain after years of what they describe as “economic vandalism” under Conservative leadership.

Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, Steve Darling, said: “The government’s bus tax looks set to clobber commuters and bus users here in Torbay. It is the last thing people in our area need after the years of Conservative economic vandalism we have been forced to suffer.

“It is a decision that will make it more expensive for people just to get on with their everyday lives and will just add to the misery for motorists on our already congested roads.

“The new government must urgently rethink these proposals and scrap their bus tax that will only make the lives of people here in Torbay harder.”