BSIP Pre-pandemic bus travel: reasons for bus usage

Summary:

• Just under half of respondents used the bus before the pandemic because it was convenient (48%), other popular reasons were to avoid parking problems (39%) and not driving (33%)
• Avoiding parking problems, ‘allows me to have a drink sometimes’, and being cheaper than using a car were more important to males whilst ‘don’t drive’ was far more common amongst females
• Respondents with a disability were more likely to be using the bus before the pandemic for convenience (+10 percentage points), because they don’t drive (+12 percentage points), because they don’t have access to a car (+12 percentage points), and to feel safe (+9 percentage points)
• Those with no disability were more driven by parking problems (+13 percentage points) and being able to have a drink sometimes (+17 percentage points)
• Households on the lowest incomes are more likely to be using the bus because they find it convenient (60%), they don’t drive (48%), and they don’t have access to a car (38%)
• Those on the highest incomes are more likely to be using the bus to avoid parking problems (51%)

Base: (Bus users) (920) | Male (293) | Female (482)

This chart shows that just under half of respondents used the bus before the pandemic because it was convenient (48%), other reasons were to avoid parking problems (39%), not driving (33%), freedom to have a drink sometimes (28%), not having access to a car (27%) and cheaper than using a car (23%). Avoiding parking problems, ‘allows me to have a drink sometimes’, and being cheaper than using a car were more important to males whilst ‘don’t drive’ was far more common amongst females.

Base: (Bus users) | Disability (138) | No Disability (625)

This chart shows that respondents with a disability were more likely to be using the bus before the pandemic for convenience (+10 percentage points), because they don’t drive (+12 percentage points), because they don’t have access to a car (+12 percentage points), and to feel safe (+9 percentage points). The chart also shows that those with no disability were more driven by parking problems (+13 percentage points) and being able to have a drink sometimes (+17 percentage points)

Base: (Bus users) | Less than £20,000 (154) | £20,000 – £39,999 (170) | £40,000 – £59,999 (56) | £60,000 or more (62)

This chart shows that there are some clear differences between the reasons people were using the bus before the pandemic by household income
Households on the lowest incomes are more likely to be using the bus because they find it convenient (60%), they don’t drive (48%), and they don’t have access to a car (38%)
Those on the highest incomes are more likely to be using the bus to avoid parking problems (51%).