November 03 2021

The annual bus statistics covering the period from March 2020 to March 2021 were published this morning, and CPT had this to say about the statistics.

“Although government messaging has unfairly singled out public transport during the pandemic demand for bus travel has bounced back more quickly than other forms of public transport, now reaching 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Operators are continuing to work with local authorities and others to give customers the confidence to travel helping deliver the Government’s ambitions for a stronger economy, decarbonisation and levelling up.”

“To see passenger numbers grow beyond the 10 million journeys per day before the pandemic, we need the ambition in the bus and net zero strategies matched by a proactive and positive message from Government to encourage people back onto the bus. We also need sufficient funding for buses to avoid a two-tier system where investment in the biggest regions means smaller cities and towns are starved of investment for the priorities they have developed with operators to improve services."