Maximum £2 Single Bus Fares on NCT in January, February and March 2023

2 years ago Mon 19th Dec 2022

£2 fare cap maximum charge

There are reduced single fares on NCT buses between January and March 2023, thanks to a government funded Help for Households initiative.

The maximum single fare for any journey will be £2 across all NCT services, including on routes through to Loughborough, Southwell and Woodborough.

The standard Adult City Area single will reduce from £2.50 to £2.00 and if you usually buy an all day ticket, but only make two journeys a day, you can pay just £4.00 by paying for a single ticket on both buses you use.

For Adults in the Nottingham City Area:

Journeys in a Day Recommended Way to Pay Total Paid for the Day
1 journey Pay for a £2.00 single ticket on your bus £2.00
2 journeys Pay for a £2.00 single ticket on both buses you use £4.00
3 or more journeys Keep paying for a £4.70 all day ticket on your first bus £4.70

All Adult, Under 19 and Student single fares that are already £2 or less and all other tickets, such as Easyrider and longer term mobile tickets, remain at their normal prices.

In the Outer Area, all Adult and Under 19 single fares that are currently £2 or more will be charged at the £2 capped fare. If you normally buy a Day Return in the Outer Area, these will be charged at a maximum of £4.00.

These fares will be available to buy using:

  • Contactless on the bus – just tap your contactless card or device on the reader and the fares are deducted automatically at the end of the day. No tickets are issued.
  • NCTX Buses App – look for the special Single, Help for Households ticket
  • Cash – exact fare needed
  • Robin Hood Pay As You Go cards

Buses Minister Richard Holden said, “Bus travel remains the most popular form of public transport in England, making up around half of all journeys. That’s why we’re investing £60 million to cap single bus fares at £2 to support every passenger and help get people back on the bus.  With the scheme set to take two million car journeys off the road, it’s fantastic to see so many bus operators signing up to the fare cap, helping people to ‘Get Around for £2’ between the 1st January and 31st March.” 

Frequently Asked Questions….

Q: Why are NCT reducing the price of single fares?

We are participating, along with other bus operators, in an England-wide scheme, where the government are investing £60m to cap single bus fares at £2 through their Help for Households Initiative. Where fares are reduced, the government is paying NCT to cover the difference between the normal fare and the discounted £2 fare.

Q: Why aren’t other ticket types included?

This is a government Help for Households scheme, where the government are only subsidising single tickets that cost more than £2. 

Longer term season tickets are not funded or covered by this scheme and customers who pay on Easyrider or longer term mobile tickets and make 2 or more journeys a day are paying better daily rates than buying individual single tickets to make their journeys.

Q: I normally buy a £4.70 all day ticket, what should I do now?

If you buy an all day ticket and only make two journeys in a day, you should pay for a £2.00 single ticket on both buses you board, to reduce your travel cost to £4.00 per day.

The easiest way to do this, without having to carry cash for both buses, is to simply tap your contactless card or device on the reader when you board each bus. No ticket is issued on the bus and the system will then charge you £4 automatically. You can view journey history on the Nottingham Contactless website.

You can also buy tickets in the NCTX Buses app or use cash on both buses (exact fare).

If you make three or more journeys in a day, keep buying a £4.70 all day ticket.

Q: I pay with Contactless, what do I have to do to get the discounted fare?

If you use Tap&Go, nothing. Just tap your card or device as you do now and the system will charge you, in the Nottingham City Area:

  • £2.00 if you make 1 journey in a day
  • £4.00 if you make 2 journeys in a day 
  • £4.70 if you make 3 or more journeys in a day

In the Outer Area, you will be charged £6.00 if you make 3 journeys and £7.00 if you make 4 or more journeys. 

The multi-operator cap of £5.70 still applies if you travel on NCT and other operators.

Q: I pay with the NCTX Buses App, what do I have to do to get the discounted fare?

In the NCTX Buses App, you will need to look for the following special named ticket: 

  • Single - Help for Households

You will also be able to buy a bundle of 10 single tickets for £20. 

Outer Area customers (Adult and Under 19) should also use these tickets, which will replace those in the South Notts, Pathfinder and Sky Blue 46/7 menus for the duration of this scheme. These special Help for Households tickets must be used before or on 31 March 2023. It will not be possible to activate or refund unused tickets from 1 April 2023. This is because the government funding only covers travel during January, February and March 2023.

Q: I pay with Cash, what do I have to do to get the discounted fare?

When you board, ask for an Adult Single at £2. Remember, exact fare needed.

If you normally buy an all day ticket, but only make two journeys in a day, you should ask for an Adult Single for £2 on your first and second bus, to reduce your travel cost to £4.00 per day.

Q: I pay with Robin Hood Pay As You Go, what do I have to do to get the discounted fare? 

Use your card in the same way as you normally do to travel on NCT buses. Just tap your card as you board the bus and the system will charge you:

  • £2.00 if you make 1 journey in a day
  • £4.00 if you make 2 journeys in a day 
  • £4.70 if you make 3 or more journeys in a day

The multi-operator cap of £5.70 still applies if you travel on NCT and other operators.

Q: Do Under 19 and Student single tickets in the Nottingham City Area reduce by the same amount as Adult Single tickets?

No. This government funded scheme has capped ALL single fares at a maximum of £2. As our Under 19 and Student single tickets in the City Area are already £2 or less, they remain at their normal prices.

Q: What happens to Under 19 fares in the Outer Area?

In the Outer Area, where our Under 19 single fares are higher, they will be charged at a maximum of £2. 

Q: Are Short Hop tickets in the City Area reduced? 

No, as this fare is already below £2, it remains at its usual price. 

Q: I normally buy a Day Return on my Outer Area service, what happens to my tickets?

Day Return tickets are two single tickets, for use on the same day. 

Where a Day Return fare (Adult or Under 19) is more than £4, the price will reduce to £4 during January, February and March 2023.

If you normally buy Two Trips in the NCTX Buses App, these will be removed for the duration of this scheme and you should either buy a Single or make use of the bundle of 10 tickets, which have to be used by the end of March 2023.

Q: What price will I pay if I use Easyrider Purse?

If your fare is below £2, the price remains unchanged. If your fare is normally above £2, it will reduce to £2 Single or £4 Day Return. 

No further discount will be applied to Easyrider Purse prices. 

Q: What will I pay on the NightBus services?

NightBuses are included in this scheme and the fare will be £2, including on the N26 to/from Southwell.