COMMENT
Judging by the barrage of press releases I received from participating operators, it is clear that the voluntary national £2 single fare scheme in England is both well supported and has attracted enthusiasm from many bus operators. Looking through the list – some 130-strong – Arriva, First, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach have all committed heavily to supporting the scheme, joined by the likes of Blackpool Transport, Centrebus, Hulleys, Nottingham City Transport, Trentbarton, Uno and many more besides.
The scheme follows a similar initiative in Germany, which you may have seen covered in Global News several times over the last few months. Though this scheme was more far reaching – a€49 monthly ticket covering trains and trams as well as buses – it proved very popular, and led to repeated demands for extension. I wonder whether this is what inspired the government in England.
The news was carried by many mainstream news sources. For once, I saw praise in the comments sections of articles about buses, something which is sadly rather rare.
