Bus passengers down 31%

Current bus passenger journeys are still below pre-pandemic figures, down 31% compared to pre-Covid numbers.

According to the Government’s latest bus statistics that cover the period of January to March 2022, the number of local bus passenger journeys in England was 2.91 billion in the year ending March 2022. This represents an 85% increase when compared with a year previous, which will be affected by differences in restrictions due to the pandemic.

The current figures are still well below (31% lower) pre-Covid levels in which there were 4.22 billion passenger journeys in England in the year to December 2019. The lower levels were broadly consistent across different areas, with current bus passenger journeys 32% lower in England outside London, 33% lower in metropolitan areas and 31% lower in London and non-metropolitan areas.

Local bus fares in England, for the quarter January to March 2022, increased by 3.6% when compared to January to March 2021. This is faster than in previous quarters, but slower than the all items Consumer Prices Index rate of inflation (5%). The increase in local bus fares in England was largely driven by a 5.9% increase in London. In England outside London, local bus fares increased by 1.8%.