Britain’s New Prime Minister Caps Bus Tickets at £2 to Ease Living Costs
Government Measures to Address the Cost-of-Living Crisis
Bus Ticket Price Cap Initiative
July 22 (Reuters) - Britain's new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, promised on Wednesday to cut the price of single bus tickets by up to a third as part of an early push to ease a cost-of-living crisis.
The move to cap the tickets at £2 ($2.68) from January came a day after his government said it would cut taxes on electricity bills.
Funding and Budget Allocation
The bus ticket cap was backed by extra funding of £454 million which would come from reprioritising spending in the budget of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Downing Street said.
Prime Minister’s Statement
"As I said on my first day in office — I will build a country for everyone, everywhere. That means more connected communities, better access to opportunities, and a lighter load on people's lives," Burnham said in the statement.
Additional Cost-Relief Policies
The government said on Tuesday it would remove value-added tax from domestic electricity bills from October 1, cutting around £45 from the average annual bill of around £1,862 that households pay.
Burnham has said he will unveil more early policies, telling reporters on Monday he wanted his new government "to do some things that people will feel and feel quite quickly", especially those on the lowest incomes.
Exchange Rate and Reporting Information
($1 = 0.7472 pounds)
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and Andrew Heavens)
