Bus passengers in the South Hams will have to pay more for their journeys following the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap by 50 per cent at the start of next year.

This will mean a single journey that currently costs £2 will cost £3.

Owner of Kingsbridge-based Tally Ho! Coaches Don McIntosh said: “Tally Ho! are very pleased that the bus fare scheme has been extended though we appreciate that a 50 per cent rise will be challenging for some customers.

“The scheme was introduced post-Covid to get people back on the buses.

“It was always temporary support but we feared a 'cliff edge' end to the scheme as that would affect our customers badly, so, on balance, this is welcome news from the Government.”

Cllr Andrea Davis (Conservative), a cabinet member whose portfolio includes transport, said a smaller rise would have been “far more acceptable” given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and changes to the winter fuel allowance that means not all pensioners will automatically receive that benefit.

“My personal view is that it is disappointing,” she said.

“I accept things have gone up in price, but if the cap had been increased to £2.50, then a return journey is £5.

“But making a return journey £6 instead of £4 now, that seems a big jump.” She feels the £6 cost of a return journey could be a point where “people start thinking they may as well take the car.”

She continued: “Time will tell, and we’ll see if there is a drop in passenger numbers as a result, but if there is, it tends to have a catastrophic effect on whether we can keep certain routes going,” she added.

The county council already contributes millions of pounds a year to subsidising bus routes, but if passenger numbers fall, then supporting bus routes where there is a decline in users becomes less feasible.

In the last financial year, the council spent just over £12 million subsidising buses to reach rural communities and to help provide services where commercial ones aren’t viable.

This year, the council is expecting to spend nearly £13.5 million.

“It’s always down to numbers,” Cllr Davis said. “The one message I keep saying is ‘use it, or lose it’, and that’s absolutely true.

“We all want a good network of buses across Devon, and ours is a good network for a rural county, and people need them.”

The bus fare cap scheme was introduced in January last year by the former Conservative administration as a post-pandemic measure to encourage people to get back on public transport.

A Stagecoach spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the Government's announcement of a new £3 bus fare cap and welcome the clarity it provides.

"We look forward to working with the Government to understand the details of the new scheme in the coming days and weeks.

"Our goal remains to provide reliable and affordable transport options that benefit our communities."

The scheme was due to end in December, but will now be extended until the end of 2025.