Transport body responds to Preston bus firm’s cap withdrawal

Preston Bus passengers will no longer be able to enjoy £1 travel on more than half a dozen of the firm’s services after it announced it was withdrawing from a scheme that capped fares for some off-peak journeys.

The move means price hikes are on the way for users of the company’s commercial routes during the three periods currently covered by the cap – after 7pm, Monday to Saturday, and all day and evening on Sundays and bank holidays.

The operator confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that eight of its services will be removed from all elements of the £1 single fare initiative from 27th April. Preston Bus says it took the decision after the rate of reimbursement it receives from the local transport authority fell compared to last year.

Standard fares of £3.50 for one-way adult trips will apply on the affected routes as of the withdrawal date – although a range of daily, weekly and monthly tickets are also available.   The firm recommends using its ‘tap and go’ facility for paying on board with a contactless debit card, which it has previously said will ensure the “best value fare” is charged for each journey.

Meanwhile, the discounted evening, Sunday and bank holiday fares will remain in place on Preston Bus services operated on behalf of – and subsidised by – Lancashire County Council, which includes some journeys on the otherwise commercially-run routes.

Stagecoach buses operating in Preston and across Lancashire remain within the scheme.

The £1 evening cap was introduced in January 2023 and extended to Sundays and bank holidays in May the following year.   The scheme is funded by the government-backed Lancashire and Blackburn Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Until the start of this month, that strategy was implemented by the county council, but has now been brought under the control of the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) devolution body.

Explaining its withdrawal from the £1 cap, Preston Bus said it was not receiving enough money to cover the cost of participating in the initiative.

“While we recognise the positive impact the scheme has had, the level of reimbursement provided in 2025 has not carried through into 2026.

“As operating costs continue to rise, this has made it increasingly difficult for us to sustainably remain within the scheme.

“We understand this may be disappointing and would like to thank our customers for their continued support. We remain committed to providing safe, reliable, and high-quality bus services across our network.”

The LDRS approached the LCCA for comment on Preston Bus’s claim about reduced funding.  While the authority did not directly address that point, a spokesperson said: “The cap on evening and Sunday fares is one of a range of improvements we’ve introduced in partnership with bus operators, using funding from government to make buses more regular, reliable and affordable.

“Preston Bus’s decision to withdraw from the scheme will affect the fares available on their commercial services.  However, people will still be able to take advantage of the reduced evening and Sunday fares on a number of other services that are operated under contract with the county council.”

The company also withdrew from the government’s voluntary national £3 fare cap scheme in January, citing insufficient reimbursement both for that and the locally-administered discounts for off-peak journeys by pensioner-age and disabled passengers.

Preston Bus told the LDRS at the time that the two initiatives were causing it a more than £100,000 annual loss.

The company reported an overall loss on its operations totalling £214,000 in accounts for the year to the end of February 2025.