Prior to Monday’s announcement Bill Hiron, chair of Eastern Transport Holdings, which runs bus services in Essex, had warned that suddenly ending the £2 cap could cause problems.

Reverting to previous fares of £5 or £7 for example, would represent “such a big jump that not only will it cause hardship for some people but of course it will result in some people saying I’m not going to take the bus anymore,” he told the BBC’s Today Programme.

Meanwhile Greenpeace suggested lifting the cap was a “‘tough decision’ the government didn’t need to make”.

“It makes no political, economical or environmental sense whatsoever,” said Paul Morozzo, Greenpeace’s UK’s senior transport campaigner.

He said buses are a “critical lifeline to millions of people, particularly those on lower incomes”.

“A government that was truly prioritising the needs of the poorest in society would rethink this decision at the first opportunity,” he said.

Additional reporting by Bernadette McCague