Gideon Amos slams bus cap increase

People who use the bus to commute to work in Taunton and Wellington could be hit by the equivalent of a 1p income tax rise due to the government’s decision to raise the bus fare cap from £2 to £3.
The area's Lib Dem MP, Gideon Amos, has labelled the move a ‘bus tax’.
Analysis by the Party shows that the average commuter who takes the bus every working day of the week could face an extra £448 bill because of the change made by the government.
That is the equivalent of paying £5,420 in income tax a year, 9% higher than the £4,972 a median earner on £37,430 a year would pay.
Mr Amos is calling for the rise to be reversed and the £2 bus cap to remain in place to protect bus commuters in Taunton and Wellington from suffering more financial pain after years of “economic vandalism" under the Conservatives.
He said: “The government’s bus tax looks set to clobber commuters and bus users.
“It is the last thing people in our area need after the years of Conservative economic vandalism has forced up the cost of living way above what it was.
“After my Lib Dem councillors colleagues managed to save the Park and Ride from closure under the previous Conservative county council, bring in night buses and begin work to restore a bus station to Taunton, it’s a bitter blow to local people to see fares going up like due to the government decision, making it more expensive for people to just get on with their everyday lives.
“It will just add to the misery for motorists on our already congested roads.
“The new government must urgently rethink these proposals and scrap their bus tax which will only make the lives of people in Taunton and Wellington harder.”