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Welsh Labour has promised to introduce a £2 cap on all single bus fares if it leads the next Welsh Government, transport secretary Ken Skates has announced.

The cap would be introduced in April 2027, covering everyone aged between 22 and 59.

Under 21s already have a £1 cap on single fares, while over-60s get free bus travel across Wales, measures introduced by Labour during the current Senedd term.

Welsh Labour has led every Welsh Government since the dawn of devolution, but that 27-year dominance is at risk this year, according to various pollsters.

As well as the fare caps, the party is also promising to introduce 100 new bus routes across Wales, with the public asked for suggestions as to where these services should run. The changes would be introduced between 2027 and 2030, with new routes in every part of Wales, the party said.

It follows the Bus Services Bill, introduced by Labour in Wales, which brings buses back into public ownership.

Mr Skates said: “Through our landmark Bus Services Bill, we are ending the era of fragmented services forced on Wales by the Tories deregulating the bus network. From now on in Wales, buses will be run for people, not just for profit. 

“These changes are about making our transport system fairer. Cheaper journeys, more routes to the places where passengers want them to go, a bus service that serves those that use it. We want to unlock opportunity by connecting people to their jobs, their hospitals, their town centres, their libraries. And Welsh Labour will take action to do that.”