UK’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, announced plans to cut the price of single bus tickets by up to a third as part of early measures to try to ease cost-of-living pressures.
Early Show of Government’s Intent
Burnham wants to move quickly to show people he can improve their lives, after Britain went through seven prime ministers in 10 years in an unprecedented bout of political instability while living standards flatlined.
On Monday, he said his government would remove a tax from domestic electricity bills from October 1 to save around £45 a year, and the move to cap bus fares at £2 from a previous £3 will come into force in January.
The fare cap will apply outside London, which has a separate regulated fare system.
The government said the bus price cap would cost more than £500 million, with £100 million coming from the existing transport budget and £400 million from the Energy Security and Net Zero Department, by switching grants for international climate projects to loans.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
