People have until the end of the year to get £2 fare-capped bus journeys.

The £2 bus fare cap, which covers almost every bus in England, is set to end on December 31.

This means that people living in Cumbria and the Lake District will have until New Year's Eve to take advantage of cheaper bus travel across the region.

The £2 cap applies regardless of the length of the journey.

Stagecoach operates several long-distance routes in Cumbria, including:

● 685 – Hourly from Carlisle to Newcastle (every half-hour between Carlisle and Brampton) via Haltwhistle, Hexham and Corbridge.

● 300 – Every half-hour (hourly on Sundays) between Workington, Maryport, Aspatria, Wigton and Carlisle.

Most journeys start from Thornhill or Frizington and run to Workington via Whitehaven as service 30, allowing passengers to travel through to Carlisle for £2.

● 555 – Hourly from Lancaster to Keswick via Carnforth, Milnthorpe, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere.

● X4/X5 – Every half-hour (hourly on Sundays) between Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith.

● 6/X6 – Hourly between Barrow, Ulverston, Grange-over-Sands and Kendal.

● 600 – 7 journeys per day, Monday to Saturday, from Carlisle to Cockermouth via Wigton.

A limited number of dedicated school buses are the only services not included in the £2 fare cap.

The government launched the initiative to encourage people to use buses more frequently after the Covid pandemic.

Tom Waterhouse, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: "The fare cap was a government initiative to encourage people back onto the buses after the Covid pandemic.

"It's been a success.

"We've certainly seen an increase in passenger numbers and we're expecting more people to take advantage in the run up to Christmas.

"Having a maximum fare of £2 makes the bus a bargain whether you're Christmas shopping, travelling to work or an appointment, or just having a day out.

"The Christmas party season is with us now.

"Getting there by bus means that nobody has to miss out by being the designated driver."

Although the £2 scheme is set to end, the Government announced that bus fares will be capped at £3 throughout 2025.

However the new scheme may vary by local authority.

To check bus times, visit stagecoachbus.com/timetables and download the Stagecoach bus app for real-time information on bus running.