£3 Fare Cap Scheme
Update: The UK government has extended the £3 bus fare cap on single journeys until March 2027. This means that all single bus fares will cost no more than £3, including on HertsLynx.
A single ticket for your bus journey will cost no more than £3 on most services across Hertfordshire until March 2027. The Department for Transport (DfT) has extended the fare cap scheme nationwide and are working in partnership with bus operators who have signed up for the scheme.
Which bus operators are participating in the scheme?
Which bus operators are not participating?
What type of journeys and tickets does the scheme apply to?
How does the fare cap affect using my Hertfordshire SaverCard?
Does the scheme apply to the HertsLynx Service?
Information for Concessionary Bus Pass holders
Which operators in Hertfordshire are participating in the scheme?
The £3 fare cap is only available with the following operators in Hertfordshire:
Arriva, Bishops Stortford Community Transport, Carousel Buses, Centrebus, Central Connect, First Essex Buses, Grant Palmer, Red Eagle, Redline Buses, Red Rose Travel, Stagecoach, Sullivan Buses (on Service 84, 306 & 398 only) and Uno.
Further information around routes covered by the scheme
Which bus operators are not participating*?
The £3 fare cap is not available on services in Hertfordshire run by the following bus operators:
A2B Bus and Coach, Landmark Coaches, Lucketts of Watford, Metroline, Richmonds Coaches, Sullivan Buses (on all services except 84, 306 & 398).
What type of journeys and tickets does the scheme apply to?
The £3 fare cap applies to single journeys regardless of length of journey. It does not apply to return tickets, weekly, monthly, or annual season tickets or Intalink Connect multi-operator ticket products.
Note that services that only operate on schooldays and/or where the primary purpose of the service is to transport school children are excluded from the fare cap scheme.
How does the fare cap affect using my Hertfordshire SaverCard?
If the uncapped fare is greater than £6 so with the 50% discount the uncapped fare would be greater than £3 then your fare will be capped at £3 to align with the fare cap scheme. However where the uncapped fare is less than £6 then the 50% discount will be applied as normal and the fare you pay will therefore be less than the £3 fare cap. Note this applies only to SaverCard, SaverCard Plus and the Senior SaverCard.
Does the scheme apply to the HertsLynx Service?
HertsLynx is participating in the £3 fare cap.
From 1st January 2025, all single fares will automatically be capped at £3. If a SaverCard user or a child (10 years and under) is travelling 0 – 2 miles only, they will need to select the discount as normal to ensure their fare is limited to £1.50.
SaverCard holders or children who are travelling over 2 miles will not need to use any discount codes as the £3 fare will be less than their original discounted fare price.
Information for Concessionary Bus Pass holders
Within Hertfordshire you will be able to use your bus pass as normal. Outside of Hertfordshire, the £3 fare cap will apply to any bus travel outside of the English National Travel Concessionary Scheme time restrictions, i.e. before 0930 and after 2300.
* Please note this a Department for Transport facilitated scheme in partnership with bus operators. Please refer to DfT guidance for further information.