Bus passengers in Cambridgeshire struggling with cost of living concerns are hoping to benefit from reduced fares as part of a £60 million scheme. 

Some bus companies in the county have signed up to capping single journey fares at £2 between January and March 31 as part of a government initiative. 

The plan, which the Department for Transport (DfT) says could save commuters more than £3 per single bus ticket, was made to help ease cost of living pressures. 

Stagecoach East have capped fares on several Cambridgeshire routes, stretching from St Neots to Peterborough, with more than 300,000 bus passengers across all its services thought to have used the scheme. 

Carla Stockton-Jones, UK managing director of Stagecoach, said: “We are delighted to see that thousands of people are already making the most of this great initiative.    

“With around 10m people in England living within walking distance of one of our bus stops, we’re hoping that people will take the opportunity to give the bus a try.” 

Whippet Coaches, which runs buses in Huntingdonshire and to Cambridge, have also signed up to the plans. 

Stephensons of Essex, which took on routes withdrawn by Stagecoach East in October including journeys to Ely city centre, Wilburton and Sutton, will join the scheme.

The Hunts Post: Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly thinks the £2 bus fare plans will make a significant difference.Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly thinks the £2 bus fare plans will make a significant difference. (Image: Newsquest)

Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, believes the DfT initiative will make “a significant difference for local households and businesses. 

“This is especially the case for those in more rural areas who tend to rely on bus services the most."

Mr Djanogly added: “I know that work continues to help make accessing them even more reliable and affordable in the future.” 

The DfT said operators covering around 90 per cent of the bus network in England have agreed to the scheme. 

The Hunts Post: Grant Shapps, former Transport Secretary, hoped the £2 single bus fare plans would ease cost of living concerns.Grant Shapps, former Transport Secretary, hoped the £2 single bus fare plans would ease cost of living concerns. (Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire/PA Images)

Buses minister Richard Holden MP said the £60m plan will “take two million car journeys off the road”. 

Single fares already lower than £2 will not be affected by the cap. 

The government is planning to work with bus operators and local authorities on helping provide affordable bus services for passengers after March. 

To find out which bus services have signed up to the scheme, visit: £2 bus fare cap - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).