I am very pleased that the Department for Transport is extending the £2 bus fare cap on single journeys in England until the end of October. Fares will then be capped at £2.50 until November 2024, helping millions more passengers get out and about for less. The Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, confirmed £300 million to protect vital routes and improve services until 2025 that people rely on for work, education, medical appointments, and shopping. To help people with cost of living pressures and save on everyday travel costs, the government will also provide up to £200 million to continue capping single bus fares at £2 outside London until the end of October 2023 and then at £2.50 until 30 November 2024 – when the government will review their effectiveness and future bus fares. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that inflation will be halved by the end of this year, and capping fares at £2.50 until November 2024 will create longer-term certainty for bus users over the next year. The fare cap will be reviewed ahead of November 2024. The move is an essential part of the government’s Help for Households initiative to support everyone through the increased cost of living, and will particularly benefit those on lower incomes who take nearly 3 times as many bus trips than those on higher incomes. During the pandemic, bus usage dropped as low as 10% of pre-pandemic levels and, while passenger levels have recovered to around 85 to 90%, the fare cap aims to encourage people back on the bus, which can help reduce congestion and emissions.
Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (Cornwall IFCA) has statutory responsibility for the management of inshore fisheries around the Cornish coast, out to the 6 nautical mile limit. They are also a committee of Cornwall Council and have Cornwall Councillor representation on the Authority. A key part of their remit is the development of local management solutions to ensure that fish and shellfish stocks are sustainably managed. As part of this work, they have launched a Call for Evidence from 17 May to 14 June to collect detailed views about the management of fishing efforts for crabs and lobsters, using pots, in Cornwall’s inshore waters. This follows a questionnaire in 2021 in which active fishermen identified rising fishing efforts as being the biggest threat to the long-term future of this important fishery which supports just over 270 commercial vessels in over 42 Cornish ports. Please visit www.cornwall-ifca.gov.uk to take part.
