BSIP Pre-pandemic bus travel: frequency

Summary:

• Before the pandemic, the majority of respondents were using the bus in Portsmouth at least weekly (53%); similar proportions were using the bus one or two days per week (16%), three or four days per week (17%), and five or six days per week (15%)
• Females were using the bus in Portsmouth more frequently than males before the pandemic; 59% of females were using the bus weekly compared to 46% of males
• Before the pandemic, respondents with a disability were using the bus in Portsmouth more frequently than those with no disability
• Respondents with children in the household were using the bus less frequently before the pandemic than those with no children the household; 18% of them were ‘never’ using the bus compared to 13% of those with no children
• Before the pandemic, the least affluent households were using the bus most frequently; 75% were travelling by bus in Portsmouth at least weekly

Base: Total sample (1,116) | Male (357) | Female (553)

This chart shows that shows that before the pandemic the majority of respondents were using the bus in Portsmouth at least weekly (53%); similar proportions were using the bus one or two days per week (16%), three or four days per week (17%), and five or six days per week (15%). A much smaller proportion of respondents were using the bus daily (5%). Less than one in 10 people were using the bus once a fortnight (9%), over a fifth were using it ‘less often’ and 15% ‘never’ used the bus.
The chart also shows that females were using the bus in Portsmouth more frequently than males before the pandemic; 59% of females were using the bus weekly compared to 46% of males and that females were far more likely to be using the bus three to four days per week (19%) or five to six days per week (19%), whilst males were more likely to be using the bus ‘less often’ (25%) or ‘never’ (18%).

Base: Disability (158) | No Disability (739)

This chart shows that before the pandemic, respondents with a disability were using the bus in Portsmouth more frequently than those with no disability. The chart also shows that the biggest differences were those travelling by bus seven days per week (+9 percentage points) and those travelling three to four days per week (+10 percentage points).

Base: Children in household (213) | No children in household (700)

This chart shows that before the pandemic, respondents with children in the household were using the bus less frequently before the pandemic than those with no children the household; 18% of them were ‘never’ using the bus compared to 13% of those with no children.

Base: Less than £20,000 (199) | £20,000-£39,999 (235) | £40,000-£59,999 (108) | £60,000 or higher (139)

This chart shows that the least affluent households were using the bus most frequently before the pandemic; 75% were travelling by bus in Portsmouth at least weekly. The most affluent households, those earning £60,000 or more per year, were the least frequent users of the bus; 34% of them were travelling by bus in Portsmouth weekly and 30% of them were never doing so