A BUS firm, which operates in York, has announced the Government-supported £2-a-trip ‘Price Drop’ fare cap is to continue throughout its network.

The Government has confirmed plans to extend its support to bus operators, which means that a single journey on all parent firm Transdev’s buses including Coastliner will remain at just £2 until October 30, slashing 87 per cent off the cost of a journey from Leeds to Scarborough or Whitby.

The announcement also means the fare cap, promoted by Coastliner under its ‘Price Drop’ brand, will then be pegged back at £2.50 until November 2024, with a Government review of the initiative’s effectiveness planned ahead of that date.

For journeys on Coastliner and other Transdev buses in West Yorkshire, the £2 fare cap is already in place and will remain so, with support from directly elected Mayor Tracy Brabin, through the Bus Service Improvement (BSIP) programme.

Transdev commercial director Paul Turner said: “We are delighted to continue our participation in this extended fare cap, not least because we have seen record-breaking numbers of customers choosing to travel with us already, with every likelihood that this will continue.

“On some of our most popular routes, including our Yorkshire flagship The 36 between Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds, we’ve seen double-digit percentage growth in customer numbers – with especially strong gains on our longer interurban routes like Coastliner, where the savings are most significant.

“Further funding to support our networks is also now confirmed, and this will help sustain our quieter routes. This gives us longer term visibility for our operations - and will further help our customers by keeping the cost of travel low, so they can make our buses their first choice for work and leisure travel.

“Our Transdev Treats vouchers are exclusively available free to our customers and give even more opportunities to save money on admission and refreshments at popular venues. We’re constantly looking to extend this scheme as a unique additional benefit to further cut the cost of family days out by bus and support our region’s visitor economy.

“We currently work with many attractions, including castles and museums, cafes and tea rooms, plus we offer discounts on our City Sightseeing open-top bus tours in York, all with a Transdev Treats voucher available free from the bus driver at the start of a journey with us.”

Customers making longer distance journeys across Transdev’s network can look forward to making the biggest savings this summer and beyond with the £2 ‘Price Drop’ fare cap on trips from Leeds to Scarborough or Whitby, Ripon to Leeds, Harrogate to Bradord and Keighley to Skipton.

Full details of all routes and timetables across Coastliner’s network linking Leeds and York with the North Yorkshire coast are available on the company website.