MEMBERS of Wyre Forest Green Party are campaigning to get more people using buses with a cap of £1 on single local fares.

The campaign is also calling for free travel on buses to everyone under 22 as part of a long-term plan.

Wyre Forest councillor Vicky Caulfield said: “There is a current, but temporary, government scheme to cap fares at £2, but the major operator in Wyre Forest, Diamond Buses, were not able to participate as the formula stipulated would actually leave them financially worse off. 

"Also, that subsidy could only support existing services and did not fund the return of much needed lost routes, or extension of services into the evening and weekend.

“Almost one in 10 local bus services were axed in Great Britain in the last decade despite government promises to improve local transport connectivity being a key pillar of its levelling up agenda.

“The Green Party policy of ‘A One Pound Fare to Take You There’, would not be detrimental to participating bus companies, but would move the focus to passengers – getting them using local buses to work, for shopping and leisure.

"We need greater powers for our councils to set routes and frequencies.”

The party say they would pay for bus service improvements at a national level by scrapping the £27bn national road building programme, diverting this money to public transport, and allocating a proportion of a proposed carbon tax.

Local activist John Davis said: “We propose cheaper fares plus major investment in buses and bus services to boost bus travel. 

"It has been shown that better public transport benefits everyone - when more people use public transport it cuts congestion on our roads and in the long run it will reduce the health costs associated with air pollution.”