NOT on the buses: Covid is blamed for 5.5% slump in bus passenger journeys to 4.07billion across England over 12 months, DfT data shows

The number of bus passenger journeys in England fell by 238million in the year ending March 31, figures show.

The total of 4.07billion journeys was a 5.5 per cent reduction on the previous 12 months.

The Department for Transport said the fall can 'largely be attributed' to the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of bus passenger journeys in England fell by 238 million in the year ending March 31, figures show

Although the national lockdown did not begin until March 23, bus companies 'started seeing declines in journeys in the preceding weeks', the DfT added.

Bus fares increased by 2.5 per cent in the year to March 31.

This is steeper than the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation, which was 1.5 per cent.

Graham Vidler, chief executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents the bus industry, said: 'This drop in passenger numbers reflects that in the weeks before lockdown we had already begun to see people deciding to travel less as a result of Covid-19.

Although the national lockdown did not begin until March 23, bus companies 'started seeing declines in journeys in the preceding weeks', the DfT said

'Following the stay-at-home message we also saw bus passenger numbers drop to 10 per cent of normal in a matter of days.'

Mr Vidler urged the Government to ensure 'we don't lock in the increase in car use we have seen during the pandemic' by introducing measures which 'focus on getting people back on to the bus'.

These include cutting bus journey times and giving local authorities and operators 'the tools to deliver the services passengers need'.

Separate DfT figures show bus use in Britain excluding London is at 56 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, while car use has returned to 85 per cent.

English councils claim they are being forced to 'prop up' private bus operators.

Traffic across the country has fallen this year as many stayed at home in lockdown and have limited their travel since

The Local Government Association said local authorities have been ordered by the Government to maintain payments to reimburse firms for concessionary travel at pre-Covid-19 levels, despite the drop in journey numbers.

Traffic across the country has fallen this year as many stayed at home in lockdown and have limited their travel since.

In London, traffic dropped by as much as 85 per cent on certain days this year compared to the equivalent days in 2019.

Other cities across the UK saw similarly dramatic falls in traffic during the restrictive lockdown conditions earlier in the year, with Manchester seeing up to 86 per cent reduction, Birmingham 89 per cent and Edinburgh up to 80 per cent on certain days.

While traffic has returned to more normal levels, it still falls short of the average, with London's congestion seven per cent lower than its usual rate.