Revealed: More than 100,000 customer journeys on Harrogate Bus Company since £2 fares launched

Harrogate Bus Company says, in total, the Government-funded initiative has so far saved customers more than three quarters of a million pounds compared with normal fares.

The bus operator and its parent company Transdev told the Harrogate Advertiser the scheme was encouraging motorists to switch from the car to the bus.

In particular, Harrogate Bus Company is delighted to report an 11 per cent rise in customer numbers using its flagship 36 service since the £2 fare cap was introduced.

Transdev Commercial Manager Matt Burley said the results showed the cut-price fares policy was proving effective in Harrogate in attracting drivers to leave their cars at home and choose buses for work and leisure journeys.

“The £2 single fare has helped to generate 11 per cent growth in customer numbers on some of our most popular routes, including on our flagship The 36 linking Harrogate with Ripon and Leeds,” said Mr Burley.

"During January we saw obvious signs of this, with particularly strong gains on our longer, interurban routes where the savings are most significant."

The Government-backed low fare deal sees the price of a single journey on all of the operator’s buses fall to just £2 until the end of June, slashing over 55 per cent off the cost of a return journey from Harrogate or Ripon to Leeds on The 36.

Commercial Manager Matt Burley said the £2 deal made travelling by bus more and more the natural choice.

"We’ve just returned The 36 to its pre-pandemic frequency of up to every 10 minutes between Harrogate and Leeds, as more and more people see the advantages – financial and otherwise - of choosing the bus instead of driving on congested roads and hunting for a costly parking space.

"The onboard features on the 36 such as luxury leather seating, fast and free Wi-Fi and aircraft-style LED lighting, mean many who’ve switched to travel with us will decide to stay on board.”