Annual bus statistics: Campaign for Better Transport responds

Responding to the Annual bus statistics for England 2019/20, published today (28 October) by the Department for Transport, Alice Ridley, Head of Media and Communications at Campaign for Better Transport, said:

"These figures show how bus cuts and rising fares were hitting communities hard, long before the pandemic. For many, buses are the only means of accessing jobs, training, shops and services, and connecting with others to avoid loneliness.

"The Government must now protect and improve bus services, which are crucial to a sustainable, fair recovery. Travelling by public transport must be affordable and convenient to avoid car journeys escalating and non-drivers being excluded.

"It's also vital that we ramp up the proportion of zero-emission buses, which currently stands at just two per cent. We're calling for all new buses to be zero emission by 2025 and all buses on the road (bar heritage vehicles) to be zero emission by 2035.

"The upcoming National Bus Strategy must be sufficiently ambitious to address all these points."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

'Annual bus statistics: England 2019/20' can be read online.

Campaign for Better Transport's July 2020 report, 'Covid-19 Recovery: Renewing the transport system', includes recommendations on protecting and improving bus services.