Patronage rises on last year’s figures

Bus journeys have increased by 19% in England and 29% in Scotland in the last year, according to latest data released by the DfT.

“Operators have been working hard with local authorities to make adjustments to their network to better suit new travel patterns” – Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations at the Confederation of Passenger Transport

Responding to the news, Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations at the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: “It is really encouraging to see the growing number of bus passengers from today’s statistics published by the Government. It clearly demonstrates the central role buses play in so many people’s lives.

“With the majority of bus journeys outside of London capped at £2, there has never been a better time to give the bus a try. It is excellent to see so many people have taken advantage of the scheme.

“Operators have been working hard with local authorities to make adjustments to their network to better suit new travel patterns.

“To support the vital role that buses play in supporting social inclusion, economic growth and improving our environment we need local authorities to work with operators to build on this year’s positive passenger growth by putting bus first on our road network. This will help operators to deliver fast and reliable bus services which are attractive to passengers. Further growing passenger numbers is the easiest way to sustainably increase bus mileage.”