Isle of Man bus fares to be capped at £2 per journey

Bus Vannin ticket prices will cost no more than £2 a journey from 1 November

BBC Bus Vannin vehicle, Isle of Man — Bus Vannin ticket prices will cost no more than £2 a journey from 1 November

Bus fares on the Isle of Man will be capped at a maximum of £2 per journey in a three-month trial aimed at helping people cope with rising costs.

Tynwald approved the move as part of a wider government support package amid high inflation and energy bills.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Thomas said the cap, which starts in November, could encourage people to "try a bus".

However Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher said it was "a missed opportunity" to scrap fares entirely.

The trial is due to cost the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) around £170k in lost income, Mr Thomas said.

'Treated equally'

Ms Faragher was one of a number of MHKs who criticised the cap during the Tynwald debate, arguing it would not benefit those making shorter Bus Vannin journeys in the most populated parts of the island, like Douglas and Onchan.

"I wanted a 20% reduction across the board, otherwise we are just helping people on a geographical rather than income basis, which is just not logical," Ms Faragher said.

Douglas North MHK David Ashford said the "flawed" cap would excluded those who travel between and around Douglas and Onchan "where the maximum fare is £1.90".

"If they base the trial on this then it is just not going to work, as they have reduced fares but are keeping the same admin costs, and it would be much better to make it free and remove the admin all together," he added.

Mr Thomas said those concerns were "Douglas centric", adding that everybody would be treated equally under the cap, which would help those making longer journeys.

He added that he was "open to the idea" of free buses, but warned it would cost Bus Vannin "several millions" in lost ticket revenue, and require change to the bus fleet "due to capacity issues".