READING Green Party leader Cllr Rob White has criticised bus fare cap rises amid increased journey numbers, warning it could dissuade residents from public transport use.
It follows the release of statistics from the Department for Transport which showed that 2 million more journeys were taken in the borough in the 2023-2024 period, bringing the total up to 19.5m.
This meant the borough has the third-highest number of bus passenger journeys per head of population in England, outside of London, after Brighton and Nottingham.
The 11.4% increase is 54% above the average growth in England, at 7.4%, and double that of the south-east average, 4.7%.
Reading is one of only three local transport authorities which had more than 100 journeys per head per year, with 109.4.
This is 74% above the England average, 62.9, and 240% above the south-east average, 32.1.
Cllr Rob White has expressed disappointment in fare cap rises enacted by the Labour government, however.
He said: “It is great that bus passenger journeys are up in Reading. However it is very disappointing that the Labour government has increased the bus fare cap from £2 up to £3.
“This will undoubtedly put people off travelling by bus. Greens want the government to reverse this massive increase.
“Bus fares have risen at a higher rate than motoring costs or rail fares, despite the benefits that investment in bus services provide.
“Every £1 of investment leads to an estimated £4.50 in benefit, vastly outweighing the Budget savings that lifting the bus fare cap claims to provide.
“Raising the bus fare cap sends the wrong message from a Labour government that claims to be committed to getting more people onto buses.”
