Seven out of 10 people support bus lanes as Government seeks to reduce their use

Research commissioned by Campaign for Better Transport has revealed huge public support for bus lanes, despite Government plans to limit/reduce their use.

The Government's recent Plan for Drivers included measures to reduce the operational hours of bus lanes across the country, yet 68 per cent of people questioned (63 per cent of drivers and 78 per cent of public transport passengers) agreed that buses should have priority over cars on busy roads.

Norman Baker, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Bus lanes and other bus-friendly measures, such as phased traffic lights, are a tried and tested way to reduce congestion by speeding up bus journey times and boosting bus passenger numbers.

"To tackle congestion and air pollution in our towns and cities we need to ensure catching the bus is quicker and cheaper than driving. The vast majority of people see the benefits of bus lanes. Any measures which reduce their effectiveness will not just result in longer journey times for bus passengers, it will also result in longer journeys for drivers too." 

Leading bus companies have echoed Campaign for Better Transport's concerns at Government measures to reduce bus lanes' use and effectiveness, writing to The Times newspaper to urge the PM to rethink his plans.

ENDS 

Notes to Editors 

The survey was carried out by Yonder Data Solutions on behalf of Campaign for Better Transport between 4 and 5 October 2023. It was a nationally representative survey amongst 1,079 people which was conducted via an online omnibus survey.

Copy of letter to the Editor printed in The Times on Wednesday 11 October: "Sir, The government gave valuable support to the bus industry during the pandemic and has continued that support with dedicated funding streams since, notably through its bus service improvements plans and the £2 cap on bus fares. This has helped to return bus passenger levels almost back to pre-pandemic levels. However, the suggestion by the prime minister that cars should take precedence over buses in town and city centres is alarming and risks undermining all the government’s good work. A single full bus can take up to 90 cars off the road but for bus travel to thrive, priority measures including dedicated bus lanes are essential. Without them buses will simply get snarled up in traffic, which will lengthen journeys, make timetables less reliable and bus travel much less attractive. The prime minister says he wants to help car drivers but his suggestion of giving car drivers priority will lead only to significantly increased congestion, thus hurting the very car drivers he wants to help. Yours, Paul Tuohy, CEO, Campaign for Better Transport; Martin Dean, Managing Director, UK Regional Bus, The Go-Ahead Group; Graham Sutherland, CEO, FirstGroup; Alex Jensen, CEO, National Express UK, Ireland and Germany; Ray O’Toole, Executive Chairman, Stagecoach; and Jens Abromeit, Managing Director, Arriva UK Bus."

Read the Government’s Plan for Drivers.