The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has urged the government to capitalise as data shows bus patronage has returned to prepandemic levels for the first time.
Data from Ticketer shows that passenger volume on Tuesday 12 October exceeded that seen on a weekday in March 2020 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. That followed several Sundays on which bus use exceeded prepandemic equivalents.
While passenger habits have changed due to less commuting since 2020, a surge in leisure demand has helped bus patronage return to former levels.
CPT has repeated the plea issued this month ahead of the government’s Autumn Budget Statement by calling for a long-term financial commitment to give operators certainty.
Chief Executive Officer Graham Vidler says: “The growing number of bus passengers demonstrates the central role buses play in so many people’s lives.
“Operators have worked tirelessly to make the bus as attractive as possible for passengers, keeping fares low and investing over £2bn in cleaner, greener vehicles over the last eight years, making it the sector’s greenest and most modern fleet.
“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.”
CPT has welcomed the £930 million redirection of funds from the HS2 project into bus services in the north of England and the Midlands but urged the Chancellor to give consideration to a five-year, nationwide investment in the Budget on 22 November.
Mr Vidler adds: “Government must seize this opportunity to unlock the full potential of bus with a longer-term funding settlement.
“The payback of such investment could be huge, with buses being key drivers of economic growth, levelling up our communities and reducing our carbon emissions.”
