Support for Southampton’s £1 Evening Bus Fare

At a Cabinet meeting on Monday 18 October, the council agreed to financially support the bus operators’ £1 Evening Bus Fare offer initially until 31 December 2021

The fare offer was first introduced by the two main bus operators – Bluestar and City Red – in June 2021 to support Southampton’s night-time economy and encourage bus users back onto public transport following the national COVID-19 lockdown.

The £1 Evening Fare is just one measure in our joint Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which will be submitted later this month to national Government as part of a bid process for a share of a £3bn fund for buses.

Councillor Jeremy Moulton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Growth, said:
“The £1 Evening Bus Fare offer has been a great initiative by our bus operators to support the city’s economy recovery and get Southampton moving. In partnership with them we are pleased to support them in continuing it over the coming months, especially during the build up to Christmas. The fare is well-aligned with the package of measures proposed in the Bus Service Improvement Plan, which seeks to make travelling by bus more affordable and attractive to residents and visitors.”

The cost of the Evening Bus Fares Support will be met from a one-off budget saving from the Council’s transport budget.

Marc Reddy, Managing Director of First Hampshire Dorset & Berkshire, said:
“The £1 evening fare, introduced as a way of encouraging people to get back out there and enjoy the many restaurants, bars and other leisure venues we have, has proved extremely popular making the council’s continued support for the offer hugely welcome.

“As a company we are focused on keeping Southampton moving and will continue working in partnership with the council and others to get people where they need to be and further stimulate the city’s economy.

“To complement the £1 single fare we are also about to introduce a £2 evening return fare, available from 6pm every evening and across all zones.”

Andrew Wickham, Managing Director at Go South Coast, said:
“At Bluestar we are keen to support this initiative and welcome people back onto our buses. Many people switched to cars during the pandemic, our buses have operated throughout and are clean and safe. This offer is a great opportunity to encourage people back on board, support the city and make a good sustainable travel choice.”