From Manchester to the Nation: Has Andy Burnham's £2 Bus Fare Cap Really Worked?

Prime Minister expands flagship Greater Manchester policy across England as passenger growth and satisfaction figures suggest lower fares have transformed bus travel—but not everyone is convinced.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that the £2 cap on single bus fares, first introduced in Greater Manchester, will be rolled out nationally in 2027, describing affordable public transport as essential to tackling the cost of living and reconnecting communities.

The policy, backed by £454 million of Government funding, builds on a scheme Burnham first introduced while serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester before working with the previous Conservative Government to extend the concept across England.

Now, after several years of operation in Greater Manchester, the region offers perhaps the clearest indication yet of whether lower fares and greater local control can genuinely reverse decades of declining bus use.

Passenger numbers point to significant growth

Since the introduction of bus franchising and the £2 single fare cap, passenger numbers across Greater Manchester have risen substantially.

Transport for Greater Manchester figures show annual bus journeys increased from 143.2 million in the year ending March 2023 to approximately 178 million by March 2026—an increase of around 24 per cent.

While several factors have contributed to the recovery, including post-pandemic travel patterns and wider improvements to the Bee Network, lower fares have been widely credited with making bus travel more attractive and affordable.

The fare cap was introduced in September 2022, ahead of the phased rollout of bus franchising that culminated in every Greater Manchester route coming under public control in early 2025.

Customer satisfaction moves against the national trend

Passenger satisfaction has also improved markedly.

Research published by independent watchdog Transport Focus earlier this year recorded one of the largest increases in customer satisfaction anywhere in England during the Bee Network's first full year under franchising.

Value-for-money ratings reached 79 per cent in Greater Manchester, considerably above the national average of 63 per cent, where many areas experienced fare increases after the national cap rose to £3.

For supporters of the Bee Network, the figures suggest that combining simpler fares with locally planned services is delivering measurable improvements in public perception.

More than simply cheaper tickets

The £2 fare cap has formed part of a much wider transformation programme rather than operating in isolation.

Alongside bringing buses back under public control, Greater Manchester has introduced contactless tap-and-go ticketing, integrated daily fare caps, hopper fares allowing passengers to transfer between buses within 60 minutes, expanded night bus services and closer integration with Metrolink.

Plans are also progressing to bring local rail services into the Bee Network by 2028, creating one of the UK's first fully integrated urban transport systems outside London.

Supporters argue that these combined measures have made public transport easier to understand while encouraging more people to leave their cars at home.

National rollout aims to replicate success

Announcing the policy, Prime Minister Burnham said affordable public transport should not depend on where people live.

He described cheaper bus travel as an effective way of easing household costs while improving access to employment, education and public services.

Burnham also emphasised that the policy originated in Greater Manchester before being expanded nationally in partnership with the previous Government, arguing that the approach had already demonstrated its value.

Challenges remain despite progress

Despite the encouraging headline figures, the Bee Network has not been without criticism.

Some passengers argue that while buses have changed colour and ticketing has become simpler, service reliability and journey times have not improved consistently across every route.

Others point out that congestion on Greater Manchester's road network continues to affect punctuality, limiting the benefits of franchising alone.

Transport leaders acknowledge there is still considerable work to do, particularly around bus priority measures, network expansion and integration with rail services.

A blueprint for future transport reform?

Whether the national £2 fare cap delivers the same results elsewhere will depend on more than simply reducing ticket prices.

Greater Manchester's experience suggests that lower fares have been most effective when combined with local control, integrated ticketing, service improvements and long-term investment in public transport infrastructure.

As England prepares for the nationwide rollout in 2027, the Bee Network is likely to remain the benchmark against which the success of the policy will be judged.

If passenger growth, improved satisfaction and stronger fare revenues can be replicated across the country, Burnham's flagship transport initiative may become one of the defining public transport reforms of the decade.