Welsh county to offer cheaper bus travel during the Christmas period

Anthony Lewis – Local democracy reporter 

Residents and visitors to a Welsh county will have access to cheaper bus travel during the Christmas period this year.

Single journeys within Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) will cost no more than £1.50 across all bus operators applying for the entire month of December 2025.

Subsidised bus travel will run from Monday, December 1, to Wednesday, December 31.

This is the eighth time  since the summer of 2023 that cheaper access to public transport has been offered to residents in this way with the council using funding secured from UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The council said that the measure has previously been well-received and is intended to reduce economic barriers that may prevent people from catching the bus.

It has been targeted during key times of the year like school holidays and festive periods.

The £1.50 offer was last applied in the six-week summer holiday in 2025.

As usual the upcoming December 2025 offer will apply to all bus journeys that start and end within the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough boundary.

It is being adopted by all local bus operators and will apply from the first service to the last service of each day – with no time restrictions being put in place.

During the offer period concessionary pass holders must scan their passes as normal. All journeys that start or end outside of the Rhondda Cynon Taf boundary will not receive the offer and the normal full fare will apply.

Bus fares for five- to 21-year-olds are currently being capped at a maximum cost of £1 for a single journey through a Welsh Government scheme.

All 16-21-year-olds need to show a valid My Travel Pass to take advantage while under-16s simply need to buy a single child bus ticket. This offer for young people will be unaffected by the council’s local initiative in December 2025.