Bus journeys in Bedford fall by more than half

The number of bus journeys undertaken in Bedford has fallen by more than half, new figures show.

The Government introduced a £2 cap on all bus journeys outside London last year to encourage more people to travel by bus.

Initially slated to end in March, the scheme has been extended by three months from April to June 30, while a further £80 million in funding has been provided to protect vital bus services during the same time period.

The Campaign for Better Transport said the added investment was "welcome", but urged the Government to implement long-term funding reform to encourage more people to take the bus.

Department for Transport figures show passengers took 3.1 million bus journeys in Bedford in the year to March.

This was up from 1.5 million the year before – which was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic – but was down significantly on pre-pandemic levels.

In 2019-20, the last full year before the pandemic, Bedford passengers took 5.2 million journeys, while over the last decade, services have been dropped by 54%.

The Campaign for Better Transport said the extension of the £2 bus fare cap and funding for key services is "very welcome and a great success".

Paul Tuohy, chief executive of the campaign group, said: "This will reassure communities across the country who are reliant on buses to access work, education, and healthcare.

"However, another 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."

The figures also show there were 16.6 journeys per person in Bedford in 2021-22 – up from 8.8.

Meanwhile, elderly or disabled passengers accounted for 678,215 (22%) journeys.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic.

"We’re providing £155 million to help passengers save money on fares, get more people on the bus and protect vital bus routes."