Commuters in Sandwell could be clobbered by equivalent 1p income tax rise due to lifting of bus fare cap

People who use the bus to commute to work in our area could be hit by the equivalent of a 1p income tax rise due to the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 which Liberal Democrats have labelled the ‘bus tax’.

Analysis by the Party shows that the average commuter in Sandwell who takes the bus every working day of the week could face an extra £448 bill because of the change made by the government. 

That is the equivalent of paying £5,420 in income tax a year, 9% higher than the £4,972 a median earner on £37,430 a year would pay.

Local Liberal Democrats are calling for the rise to be reversed and the £2 bus cap to remain in place to protect bus commuters in Sandwell from suffering more financial pain after years of “economic vandalism” under the Conservatives.

Sandwell Liberal Democrat Chair, Mark Smith said:

“The government’s changes to the bus fare cap looks set to clobber commuters and bus users here in Sandwell. It is the last thing people in our area need after the years of Conservative economic vandalism we have been forced to suffer.

“It is a decision that will make it more expensive for people just to get on with their everyday lives and will just add to the misery for motorists on our already congested roads.

“The government should be encouraging use of public transport, and active travel alternatives to use of a car, not raising the bus fare cap.

“The new government must urgently rethink these proposals and scrap this change that will only make the lives of people here in Sandwell harder.”