Ministers are being urged to avoid imposing a “cliff edge” return to commercial bus fares on passengers in England after refusing to commit to extending the £2 cap.
Bus companies said it is vital the cost of using their services is kept low for young people to “enhance their access to education and jobs”.
Single bus fares in England have been capped at £2 since January last year, but the Labour Government has declined to say whether the policy will continue past the current end date of December 31.
Alison Edwards, director of policy and external relations at industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: “Bus operators are working closely with the Government so that together we can find a way to avoid a cliff edge return to commercial fares.
“Analysis has shown that supporting fares, which can be done in a range of different ways, is great value for money and can support many other Government objectives.
“For example, keeping fares low for young people would enhance their access to education and jobs while also encouraging them to develop sustainable travel habits to last a lifetime.”
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said in a recent interview with the PA news agency that her officials were “looking at various options” in relation to the cap, including whether they could “target it better”.
In response to a parliamentary question on the issue last month, transport minister Simon Lightwood wrote that the Government was “urgently considering the most effective and affordable ways” of delivering “reliable and affordable public transport services”.
Passengers travelling long distances in rural areas or between towns and cities are likely to suffer the biggest fare rises if the cap is not extended.
When it introduced the policy, the Conservative government said routes with some of the biggest per journey savings were between Leeds and Scarborough (£13), Lancaster and Kendall (£12.50), and Plymouth and Exeter (£9.20).