Is Cutting Fares Commercially Sustainable? Lessons from the National Bus Fare Cap

18 Mar 2026
Theatre 4

The commercial viability of fare reductions being paid for by passenger growth has historically been hard to quantify. Operators are understandably hesitant to take on the risk and there has been limited public funding available to support experimentation. The National Bus Fare Cap provided a rare real-world opportunity to test this theory.

Luke will present evidence on how passenger behaviour changed under the £2 cap, the impact of the rise to £3, and key considerations for any transition if and when the fare cap ends.

Speakers
Luke Taylor-Sales
Luke Taylor-Sales, Head of Customer Experience - Brighton & Hove Buses