Coach company Chalkwell has signed up to the government's £2 cap on bus fares.

Chalkwell, which serves Swale and Medway, is joining the scheme created to help families feeling the squeeze amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Bus fares on more than 130 routes outside London will be pegged at £2 for three months from January 1 to March 31 thanks to £60million of government funding.

Stagecoach, which runs services in Tunbridge Wells and the east of the county, has also signed up.

Roland Eglinton, managing director of the family-run Chalkwell's based in Church Road, Sittingbourne, said: "Not only is travelling by bus a great way to get around and good for the environment but it will be cheaper for many under this scheme.

"It is hoped it will encourage people out of cars and onto buses which will also help to ease congestion."

The company, which serves Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey, already offers unlimited one-day youth tickets – aged 11-19 – across Swale for £3, Swale and Medway for £4 and Ashford for £5 with weekly and monthly season tickets available.

Unlimited adult saver tickets are £4.50 for Swale and £6 for travel across Swale and Medway.

Mr Eglinton added: "The £2 promotion is a cap, so if a journey is less than that it will remain so. For example, a £1.20 fare for a short journey will still be £1.20. But a £3 fare will only be £2.

"This will be applied when customers board and pay the driver. The government is providing a subsidy to support this scheme, which is paid to participating bus operators."

Bus fares on more than 130 routes outside London will be pegged at £2 for three months from January 1 to March 31 thanks to £60million of government funding.

The average bus fare is £2.80 but in some areas it can reach more than £5.

More than 130 operators including National Express and Stagecoach have signed up to the scheme which could take up to two million cars off the roads and reduce commissions.

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 is part of the government’s Help for Households campaign to tackle the rising cost of living.

It is hoped the scheme will also help the bus industry which is still recovering from the pandemic.

Chalkwell has also agreed to take over three Sittingbourne routes from Arriva from Monday, February 13.

The 347 route connects Milton Regis and Kemsley with the Sittingbourne Bus Hub and the 349 operates between Murston and Sittingbourne. Both run Mondays to Saturdays.

The 647 operates on school days only and links Iwade, Kemsley and Milton Regis to Sittingbourne schools.

Mr Eglinton said “We are very pleased to be taking over these routes as they provide essential services for the community. As a Sittingbourne-based family business we are in a good position to deliver a quality service. We very much look forward to getting started."

Not all services have been so lucky. Kent County Council has still insisted on axing 38 bus routes as part of funding cuts.

Those being lost after February 12 include the 8/9/343/344/345 routes serving Sittingbourne and the surrounding villages; the 332 linking Stockbury to Sittingbourne schools; the 360/361 Sunday service on Sheppey (Monday to Saturdays will continue); the 662/666/664 linking Faversham and Lynsted School and the HS7/HS8 service from Egerton and Pluckley to Homewood School.

Mr Eglinton said: "A lot of people will be inconvenienced by these withdrawals. However, KCC made the decision because of budgetary issues. If passengers have any concerns they should raise them with their local KCC councillor."

He added: "We would like to thank all of our customers, many of whom have used these bus services for generations."