NI to get additional money due to Burnham's bus fare freeze

Public services in Northern Ireland will get a small amount of additional money as a result of the Prime Minister Andy Burnham's decision to freeze bus fares in England.

The exact amount will not be known until the Autumn Budget but is likely to be around £10m to £15m.

As is normal Stormont ministers will not be obliged to spend the money on public transport.

The rules of devolution funding mean local ministers set their own policies and priorities.

Earlier this month Translink, Northern Ireland's public transport company, said it would have to make cuts to services due to budget pressures.

It has launched a public consultation on the proposals which will run until the end of September.

Translink said there were "very real financial pressures facing public transport, driven by rising costs and a reduction in funding".

Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said the executive should ring-fence the funding arising from Burnham's decision and invest it in Northern Ireland's public transport network.

"This would help deliver more affordable fares, improve services and provide greater choice for consumers," he added.

Roberts said affordable, accessible transport was "an investment in the future of our local economy".

Most bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from 1 January in 2027, the government has announced.

The reduction would see the cap on fares go down by a third from the current £3 cap.

A £2 bus fare cap in England was introduced by the Conservative government in 2023.

Initially due to last only three months, it was extended until Sir Keir Starmer increased the cap to £3 at the start of 2025.

That cap had been due to expire in March 2027.

The new cap will last for the rest of the year.

In Manchester, where Prime Minister Andy Burnham was mayor from 2017 until he became the MP for Makerfield last month, single fares have been capped at £2 for the last four years.