Some facts – A single bus fare from Monmouth to Newport on the number 60 bus is currently £6.30 (as is the fare from Pontypool to Cwmbrân on the X24!). Single adult tickets in the Newport city area are £2.75. Concession and discount fares are available but this is the price for a regular adult ticket.
In England Single bus journeys outside London are capped at £3 through 2026, transitioning to a £2 single fare cap from January 1 to December 31, 2027. London uses its own independent Transport for London (TfL) structure with a flat £1.75 fare.
In Wales there is no universal adult single fare cap, meaning standard adult fares depend entirely on individual commercial operators and specific routes.
Welsh Government say: “Wales is leading the way on affordable, accessible public transport. We have already introduced £1 bus fares for young people aged 5 to 21 on services across Wales, and our free bus pass scheme means over-60s and disabled people can travel without paying a penny.“
19.4 per cent of Newport households do not have access to a car. Buses are a lifeline. They offer affordable routes to shops, hospitals, doctor surgeries, and places of employment.
Newport Bus does a good job of developing a network of services across the city and Monmouthshire. See our report. They have had some success in incrementally improving city services and introducing new air conditioned electric buses. But there is still no plan from Welsh Government to develop cheap and frequent bus services in the most congested area of South Wales at a time when petrol and diesel prices are at a high point.
Bus services will soon be brought under public control throughout Wales. It is already the case in Newport and Cardiff. But we need to develop buses as a proper alternative to cars, enhance service frequencies and lower fares to give people the option to leave the car at home. The consequential funding provided by the UK Government to Wales (£20 million?) should be used to introduce the same £2 bus fare cap in Wales and Newport and to support our bus services and users.