Bus use still below pre-pandemic numbers

Department for Transport figures show passengers took 5.8 million bus journeys in Northumberland in the year to March last year – up from 2.9 million the year before, which was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic – but down significantly on pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019-20, the last full year before the pandemic, passengers in the county took eight million journeys, while over the last decade, journeys have dropped by 46%.

In England there were 2.8 billion bus journeys in 2021-22 – down from 4.1 billion in 2019-20.

A decade ago there were 4.6 billion.

The Government last week extended a £2 cap on all bus journeys to June 30, and committed £80m to protect vital bus routes.

The Campaign for Better Transport welcomed the investment but called for long-term funding reform to encourage more people to take the bus.

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of the campaign group, said: "An extension only gets us so far. We are urging the Government to implement long-term funding reform to avoid more uncertainty and give everyone access to affordable and reliable bus services."

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic and we’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes.”