Concerns county will not benefit from £2 bus cap

Herefordshire's two largest bus operators have not yet committed to the flat £2 fare being urged by the government, according to council bosses.

Ledbury councillor Justine Peberdy said the price cap scheme "will not benefit Herefordshire unless our operators choose to participate in it".

Yeomans Travel and Sargeants Brothers, who between them operate a majority of the county's services, did not participate in the current £3 bus fare and there were concerns they would not participate in the new scheme, she said. Yeomans has said it was waiting for more information before deciding.

The bus fare cap in England will revert to £2, from the current £3 from January.

Peberdy, who chairs a group which looks into how the county's bus services can be improved, confirmed Bromyard-based DRM did plan to participate.

Independent councillor Nick Mason said it would be "horrendous" if the rest of the country took part but fares in Herefordshire cost more.

Tammy Gerber of local campaign group Buses4Us said the difference between capped and uncapped fares could run to £1,200 a year for someone commuting five days a week in the county.

"Herefordshire's operators need to get with the programme before January 2027 and not leave young people to find out the hard way that they've been left behind," she said.

Sergeants currently has 24 routes listed on the Herefordshire Council website, chiefly in and around Hereford and westwards towards and into Wales.

Yeomans Travel meanwhile operates 31 routes including many serving villages around Hereford, to Leominster and the north and also the southwest of the county.

A Yeomans spokesperson said that with the details of the scheme "still evolving", the support on offer from the government would depend on data it had yet to submit.

"Consequently, a final decision on participation cannot be made at this point," they said, adding: "We do not expect to receive the government's proposal until late November."