NEW bus fares will mean Colchester’s commuters face an equivalent of a 1% annual tax increase.

The Labour government’s controversial increase of the flat rate bus fare up to £3 per journey instead of £2 has been met with widespread criticism.

And the Liberal Democrats are leading the calls for the price hike to be reversed.

Analysis by the party shows that an average commuter who takes the bus every working day of the week could face an extra £448 bill because of the change made by the government. 

That is the equivalent of paying £5,420 in income tax a year, 9% higher than the £4,972 a median earner on £37,430 a year would pay.

Lib Dem spokesman Martin Goss said: “The government’s bus tax looks set to clobber commuters and bus users here in Colchester. It is the last thing people in our area need after the years of Conservative economic vandalism we have been forced to suffer.

“It is a decision that will make it more expensive for people just to get on with their everyday lives and will just add to the misery for motorists on our already congested roads.”

The Lib Dems are calling for the rise to be reversed and the £2 bus cap to remain in place to protect bus commuters from suffering more financial.

Martin added: “The new government must urgently rethink these proposals and scrap their bus tax that will only make the lives of people harder.”