BSIP Pre-pandemic bus travel: reasons for lower usage

Summary:

• The main barriers that prevented bus users from using the bus more before the pandemic, in order of popularity, were; ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (43%), ‘the cost of tickets (40%), ‘journey times not suitable for me (i.e. not frequent enough when I want to travel, don’t run early enough
• Non-bus users reported a different set of barriers, some at much higher proportions than seen amongst users; ‘the cost of tickets’ (57%), ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (41%), ‘journeys take too long’ (39%), ‘journey times not suitable for me’ (29%), ‘need my car for multiple journeys’ (25%), and ‘prefer active travel’ (24%)
• There were four main barriers preventing visitors from using the bus more often before the pandemic; ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (39%), ‘the cost of tickets’ (37%), ‘journeys take too long’ (35% compared to 23% of residents), and ‘journey times not suitable for me’ (32%)
• Residents reported ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ and ‘the cost of tickets’ (both 43%) as their biggest barriers to travelling by bus more often before the pandemic
• Those with a disability were more likely to report that they used the bus as often as they could before the pandemic (24%) than respondents with no disability (14%)
• Respondents with no disability were more likely to find the cost of tickets (+13 percentage points) and routes not getting them to where they need to go (+8 percentage points) barriers to bus usage before the pandemic
• The cost of tickets was the biggest barrier to bus travel for households with children under 18; 64% say that the cost of tickets prevented them from using the bus more frequently (+29 percentage point difference)
• Households with children were also more likely to need their cars for multiple journeys (19% compared to 8% of households with no children), preventing them from using the bus

This chart shows that the main barriers that prevented bus users from using the bus more before the pandemic, in order of popularity, were; ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (43%), ‘the cost of tickets (40%), ‘journey times not suitable for me (i.e. not frequent enough when I want to travel, don’t run early enough.
The chart also shows that Non-bus users reported a different set of barriers, some at much higher proportions than seen amongst users; ‘the cost of tickets’ (57%), ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (41%), ‘journeys take too long’ (39%), ‘journey times not suitable for me’ (29%), ‘need my car for multiple journeys’ (25%), and ‘prefer active travel’ (24%). h)’ (31%), and ‘journeys take too long’ (22%).

Base: Total Sample (1,061) | Bus Users (901) | Non-Bus Users (160)

This chart shows that there were four main barriers preventing visitors from using the bus more often before the pandemic; ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ (39%), ‘the cost of tickets’ (37%), ‘journeys take too long’ (35% compared to 23% of residents), and ‘journey times not suitable for me’ (32%).
The chart also shows that residents reported ‘routes don’t get me to where I need to get to’ and ‘the cost of tickets’ (both 43%) as their biggest barriers to travelling by bus more often before the pandemic.

Base: Resident (908) | Visitor (147)

This chart shows that those with a disability were more likely to report that they used the bus as often as they could before the pandemic (24%) than respondents with no disability (14%).
The chart also shows that respondents with no disability were more likely to find the cost of tickets (+13 percentage points) and routes not getting them to where they need to go (+8 percentage points) barriers to bus usage before the pandemic.

Base: Disability (158) | No Disability (736)

This chart shows that the cost of tickets was the biggest barrier to bus travel for households with children under 18; 64% say that the cost of tickets prevented them from using the bus more frequently (+29 percentage point difference). It also shows that households with children were also more likely to need their cars for multiple journeys (19% compared to 8% of households with no children), preventing them from using the bus

Base: Children in household (212) | No children in household (697)