Around half of those who do not use the bus would not be convinced to try it by anything, according to a small data sample from a newly published Transport Focus survey.
The “motivations and barriers to bus usage” survey, which questioned more than 2000 people in March 2023, also suggested better value, reliability and frequency are the key factors that would encourage former bus users back on board.
Of the 216 who responded that they did not use the bus but used to, “if buses were better value” came out top when they were asked for five reasons they would switch back. Twenty-seven percent gave this as a response, leading reliability (25%) and better service frequency (23%) as the most commonly chosen answers.
However, of the 295 who said they did not travel on buses, as many as 49% said nothing would encourage them to use them. Among this cohort, frequency (16%) was the most selected of factors which would convince them to get on board, followed equally by value, reliability and “if buses went to more destinations/went directly to destinations I want to go” (each at 14%).
Considering all the survey questions, independent transport watchdog Transport Focus concludes the key findings are:
- Who uses buses has changed.
- A preference for the car among non-users will continue to be hard to overcome.
- The capped fare scheme is providing value for money to users.
- A lack of knowledge about services presents an opportunity for the industry.
Selected other notable findings
The survey found 29% of respondents used the bus weekly and also that 55% of those who no longer travel via it last did so before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the same survey carried out in March 2022, 24% said they were using buses more often than at the same time year ago – but a similar number (23%) replied they were doing so less often.
When those who do not buses were surveyed, the most common reason given was that they preferred to use the car, with 70% citing this.
As for the former bus users, 37% said they were “not at all likely” to use bus again – compared to 17% for “fairly likely” or “very likely”.
The survey found that those who were using the bus less than a year ago were doing so due to making fewer journeys, with 25% choosing this option as an explanation.
Excluding those who had a free bus pass, 45% of those questioned said they had not heard of the £2 fare cap scheme.
David Sidebottom, Transport Focus Director, says: “Our research shows that, while many travel habits post-Covid are here to stay, there are significant opportunities for bus operators and local authorities to attract passengers onboard.
“It’s clear that the bus industry is at a crossroads. Operators and local authorities face some tough, unenviable choices in a difficult economic environment. To help more people choose bus it’s essential that services turn up on time and offer good value for money.”
