Travelling with a new rush of bus trippers on a £2 ticket from Leeds to Whitby on Britain's most scenic route

Mother and daughter Lisa and Megan Harrickie are on the buses on a whim. A friendly gentleman at York station had shared the secrets of his own daytripping revelation.

“We’re excited to see what we see - we’re on a mad adventure,” they said. “We are sitting at the back, like a pair of tourists.

“It’s all very Jane Austen-like, there are tea rooms everywhere. I feel like we need to stop in every town for a coffee and a cake, by the time we get home you will be rolling us.”

A £2 cap on bus fares, backed by £75m in Government funding, has been extended until June. The goal was to help in the cost of living crisis, while encouraging more people back onto the buses after passenger numbers plummeted in the pandemic. Word is spreading like wildfire, as more people realise that you can travel almost anywhere in £2 trips.

The Coastliner is famous as Britain’s most scenic bus route. Travelling from Leeds to York, and then Whitby, it takes in picture-perfect villages, the North York Moors.

It was set to be withdrawn, with dwindling use. Then came the £2 fares. Since January, passenger numbers have soared 75 per cent.

This is Stephen Harvey’s first £2 trip. Based in Tadcaster, he has lots more planned and is already eyeing up the route from Leeds to Ripon on the luxurious No36 bus.

“It’s just a ride out, in the countryside. A chance to venture out,” he said. “It’s a place I can knock off my list.”

It takes roughly three-and-a-half hours to travel from Leeds to Whitby by bus. Many people set off early, knowing they can get a good few hours in before a return. Some get off in York. Others join, with a tea break in Malton. The queues to get back on measure 50 strong.

There’s stops at Eden Camp, Flamingo Land, half a dozen country pubs. Pretty villages such as Thornton-le-Dale, and Dalby Forest. The bus, of course, leaves Malton 20 minutes late. At a guess, it’s at more than two-thirds occupancy, even on a rainy Thursday in March.

Upstairs, there is a bit of a festive atmosphere. For the sisters from Leeds, there will be a visit to The Magpie for fish and chips, and a pub quiz. There are grapes for the bus journey.

It was supposed to be a day trip, before they cottoned on to the £2 fares. With the money they’ve saved, they’ve splashed out on a B&B, £30 each in a cheap winter deal. The train, via Darlington, would have cost £70 and saved only 20 minutes.

Harry and Sandra Smith are from Scarborough, but fancied a day out in Whitby. “We’re having a run across,” said Harry. Sandra added: “He’s off to the pub, that’s where he’s going.”

Both retired, they use a bus pass, but are really pleased to see younger people using the buses more. They have noticed a change: “You see a lot of families on a weekend. They wouldn’t be able to afford it otherwise.”

In Goathland, with the world-famous North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) set to open on Monday, this week marks the start of the season, and it will only get busier.

In the chocolate-box village, known for the filming of Heartbeat, the tourist shops and tearooms are readying for a flurry of visitors. After a difficult three years, with lockdowns and rising business costs, this summer is critical. A sudden rise in bus tourists helps.

Jason Wood is co-owner of the Goathland Garage and gifts, also known as Aidensfield Garage from its filming days in Heartbeat. It’s been family owned for 40 years.

The Coastliner is a “valuable link”, he said. Tourism is critical to the area, from Goathland to Pickering and Whitby, for jobs creation and incomes.

“It keeps businesses open and operating,” he said. “Without tourism, a lot of local businesses would close. It’s a boost to the local economy. The fare cap is a great idea.”

And Sheila Calvert, owner of the Goathland Gifts and Tea Rooms, said of the £2 fares: “Anything that means people can come and visit helps tourism.”

The Transdev Coastliner 840 is just one route in Yorkshire, while the fare cap applies to more than 130 bus operators outside of London.

Despite being polled as Britain’s most scenic bus route by passengers, it was set to be potentially withdrawn in April.

General manager Kel Pizzuti said it was bringing in more visitors, with Yorkshire’s many attractions and “stunning” scenery drawing people from all over the world.

“The £2 ‘Price Drop’ fare cap, extended to the end of June with Government support, is helping us to bring in more visitors, and since the low fare was introduced in January, it has encouraged 75 per cent more customers onto our buses,” he said. “Our Coastliner route 840 will continue to serve the Moors and Whitby throughout this summer, with a review of its longer term future expected to be completed in late August.”

For bus driver and instructor Shane Kirkbright, all the routes are busier for now. When he drives into Leeds station, he said, there can be a queue round the corner.

“It feels like the summer months, but in winter,” he said. “It’s just non-stop, all day.”

There have always been a lot of retired people on board the buses, he said, but now he is seeing working people, younger families, and many spur of the moment daytrippers.

“What are you going to do, if you live in Leeds, and your partner says ‘do you fancy going to the coast for fish and chips for tea?’,” he asked.

“It’s uncanny - that you can get to Scarborough for £2. I’ve never known anything like it.”