The “Get Around for £2” scheme, which will cost £60m, starts in England on 1 January and will run until the end of March.

It will see adult single fares capped at £2 on the routes included. The cost of a single local bus fare in England costs an average of £2.80, but can exceed £5 in some areas.

It was first announced in September and aims to help people in the cost of living crisis.

Around 90% of operators, including Stagecoach and National Express, have signed up to the scheme in England although it does not apply to London.

Along with helping people to save money, the scheme will cut emissions and congestion and the government said it could see two million fewer cars on the road.

Buses are the most popular form of transport in the UK

Buses minister Richard Holden, said: “Brits love buses. They’re the most popular form of public transport in England, making up half of all journeys. So we’re investing £60 million to cap single bus fares at £2 to help families, students and commuters and help get people back on the bus.

“The scheme will also take two million car journeys off the road and it’s fantastic to see so many bus operators signing up. So, if you’re in Carlisle or Weston-Super-Mare, Birmingham or Doncaster, make sure you hop on the bus and ‘Get Around for £2’ between 1 January and 31 March.”

Several schemes are already in place to help to cut the cost of travel by bus. This includes the “Any Ticket Any Bus” scheme in Cornwall which was launched in April at a cost of £23.5m to the government.

It is running for four years and includes a £2.50 day ticket within towns or a £5 day ticket across all of Cornwall, which is valid across different bus operators.

Tom Stables, chief executive officer for National Express UK, said: “More people using buses is good for the economy, environment and wider society.

“We know that great value, low fares encourage people to switch to the bus so are proud to join this scheme. And even better, we’re also freezing child fares at £1. Bus travel is simple, cheap and easy and there’s never been a better time to get onboard.”

Full list of bus operators running the scheme

The scheme won’t apply in London, Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire but it does include the following operators:

• 1st Bus Stop Limited (South East)
• Arriva Merseyside Ltd (North West)
• Arriva Midlands Ltd – Fox (East Midland)
• Arriva Midlands North Ltd (West Midlands)
• AVMT Buses Ltd (South West)
• B P BROWN TRAVEL LTD T/A SELECT BUS SERVICES (West Midlands)
• Banga Buses (West Midlands)
• Bishop’s Stortford Community Transport CIO (East of England)
• Blackpool Transport Services Ltd (North West)
• Blueworks Taxis ltd (North West)
• Boomerang Travel Limited t/as Pilkingtonbus (North West)
• BorderBus Ltd (East of England)
• Brighton & Hove Buses (South East)
• Brylaine Travel Ltd (East Midland)
• BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LIMITED, t/a STAGECOACH NORTH EAST (North East)
• Cambus Limited T/A Stagecoach East (East of England)
• Carousel Buses (South East)
• Centrebus Ltd (East of England)
• Centrebus North Ltd (East of England)
• Chalkwell Coach Hire Limited (South East)
• Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Company Ltd (South West)
• CLEVELAND TRANSIT LIMITED, t/a STAGECOACH NORTH EAST (North East)
• Coach Services Ltd (East of England)
• COASTLINER BUSES LTD (North West)
• Cogenhoe & Whiston Parish Council (East Midland)
• Compass Travel (Sussex) Ltd (South East)
• CT4N Ltd (North East)
• Cuckmere Community Bus Ltd (South East)
• Cumbria Classic Coaches Limited North East, (North East)
• D&G BUS North West, (West Midlands)
• D&G Bus (Chaserider) (West Midlands)
• Dartline Coaches (South West)
• DRM (Bromyard) Ltd t/a DRMBUS (West Midlands)
• East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd (Yorkshire and Humber)
• Faresaver Buses (South West)
• First Beeline Buses Ltd t/a First Berkshire (South East)
• First Eastern Counties Buses Ltd (East of England)
• First Essex Buses Ltd (East of England)
• First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd t/a First Dorset (South West)
• First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd t/a First Provincial (South East)
• First Hampshire & Dorset Ltd t/a First Southampton (South East)
• First Potteries Limited (West Midlands)
• FIRST SOUTH WEST LIMITED (South West)
• First South Yorkshire Ltd (North East)
• First West of England (South West)
• First Wyvern (West Midlands)
• First York Limited (Yorkshire and Humber)
• G Abbott and Sons Limited (North East)
• G E SCRAGG & SONS LTD (West Midlands)
• Galleon Travel 2009 Ltd (East of England)
• Go North East (North East)
• Go North West Limited (North East)
• Go South Coast Ltd (South East and South West)
• Greater Manchester Buses South Ltd T/A Stagecoach Manchester (North West)
• Harrogate Coach Travel Limited (Yorkshire and Humber)
• Harting Minibus CIC (South East)
• Hatch Green Garage Ltd (South West)
• HIGH PEAK BUSES (BOWERS COACHES LTD) (North West)
• Hornsby Travel Services Ltd (Yorkshire and Humber)
• HULLEYS OF BASLOW (North East, North West)
• Ipswich Buses Limited (East of England)
• Keighley & District Travel Ltd (Yorkshire and Humber)
• Kinchbus (East Midland)
• Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire Ltd (North East, North West)
• Konectbus Limited – trading names Chambers, Hedingham and Konectbus (East of England)
• Leicester CityBus Limited (trading as First Leicester) (East Midland)
• Lincolnshire Road Car Company Limited t/a Stagecoach (East Midlands Yorkshire and Humber)
• Lugg Valley Travel Ltd (West Midlands)
• Marshalls of Sutton on Trent Ltd (East Midland)
• Metrobus (South East)
• Metroline Travel Ltd (East of England)
• Minsterley Motors Ltd (West Midlands)
• Newbury & District (South East)
• NIBSbuses Ltd (East of England)
• Nottingham City Transport (East Midland)
• Notts & Derby Traction Co Ltd (East Midland)
• OurHire Limited (East of England)
• Oxford Bus Company (South East)
• Plymouth Citybus Limited (South West)
• Preston Bus Limited (North West)
• Reading Buses (South East)
• RED & WHITE SERVICES LTD T/A STAGECOACH IN S WALES (West Midlands)
• RED EAGLE BUSES LTD (South East)
• Reliance Motor Services Limited (Yorkshire and Humber)
• Ribble Motor Services Limited (t/a Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire) (North West)
• SANDERS COACHES LTD (East of England)
• Simonds of Botesdale Ltd (East of England)
• Southdown PSV Limited (South East)
• Stagecoach (North West) Ltd (North East, North West)
• Stagecoach Midlands (West Midlands, East midlands, East of England)
• Stagecoach South (South East)
• Stagecoach South East (South East)
• Stagecoach South West (South West)
• Stagecoach Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands)
• Stephensons Coaches (East of England)
• Summercourt Travel Ltd T/A Travel Cornwall (South West)
• Tally Ho! Coaches Limited (South West)
• Taxico / Aimee’s Travel (West Midlands)
• Thames Transit Ltd (South East, South West)
• Thames Travel (South East)
• Thames Valley Buses (South East)
• THORNES INDEPENDENT LTD (North East)
• TM Travel (Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands)
• Travel Assist Services Ltd (North West)
• trentbarton – Barton Buses (East Midland)
• trentbarton – Trent Motor Traction (East Midland)
• Universitybus (East of England)
• Uno Buses Ltd (East of England)
• Walsall Community Transport (West Midlands)
• Warrington’s Own Buses (North West)
• Weardale Motor Service Limited (North East)
• West Midlands Travel Limited (West Midlands)
• Western Dales Community Bus Service Ltd (North West)
• Yeomans Canyon Travel Ltd (West Midlands)
• York Pullman Bus Company Ltd (North East)
• Yorkshire Coastliner Ltd (Yorkshire and Humber)