Older and eligible disabled people are being urged to make the most of free bus travel to meet friends, connect with nature and visit new places this summer, through a new government campaign launched on 15 July 2023.  

The new ‘Take the Bus’ campaign is targeting people aged 66 and above, and disabled people who are eligible for a concessionary pass, to encourage them to use the free bus travel available.

The move comes as statistics show concessionary journeys are down by more than a third since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign reminds passholders of the benefits of using bus travel, including staying active, visiting new places, taking up hobbies and seeing friends and family – while saving money on travel.#

Along with the government’s £2 bus fare cap scheme, the campaign aims to get more people using the bus to help reduce congestion and emissions while supporting the bus industry and helping grow the economy.

Read the full story: New campaign to boost free bus travel this summer

The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research into public attitudes, travel needs, and behaviours regarding travel following the pandemic and in response to other challenges, such as the rising cost of living and climate change.

The research involved an online survey of a representative sample of 2,345 adults aged 16-75 across England, 10 online focus group discussions in November 2022 to supplement the survey findings and 15 in-depth interviews to follow-up and explore key topics in February 2023.

The report compares data from November 2022 and November 2021 and in the three months immediately before the pandemic period.

Key findings include:

• In November 2022, just under a third of people (30%) said they avoided public transport due to concerns around Coronavirus, a proportion which had fallen since November 2021 (46%). However, it is notable that nearly a third of people said they did avoid public transport for this reason. Focus group discussions highlighted the importance people placed on adequate ventilation and cleanliness.
• When people in November 2022 were asked what would encourage them to use public transport more, financial incentives were most mentioned, along with more frequent and punctual services, whilst issues related to Coronavirus (ventilation, low numbers of Coronavirus cases) were mentioned less.
• A third of people (33%) agreed they found it difficult to choose the most suitable ticket when travelling by public transport. Focus group participants suggested that clearer and more visible information about current ticketing options was needed.

Read the full report: Our changing travel – how people’s travel choices are changing

The ‘Get around for £2’ bus fare cap – previously due to come to an end on 30 June – will now continue until 31 October 2023.

The offer will be available for single bus tickets on over 5,000 routes in England (outside London), helping passengers save a third off the average ticket price.

The scheme will then continue at £2.50 for one year until November 2024, thanks to £200 million in government funding to help people save money on travel while growing the economy.

The move is an essential part of the government’s help for households initiative to support everyone through the increased cost of living and will particularly benefit those on lower incomes who take nearly three times as many bus trips than those on higher incomes.

Read the full article: £2 bus fare cap extended to 31 October

The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned an audience segmentation of England in relation to what would encourage greater bus usage.

The overall objective of the research was to increase bus usage by being able to develop strategies and policies that would drive behaviour change.

Key findings include:

• 80% of English adults were found to use the car at least once a fortnight
• Though bus is the next most frequently used mode of transport, only 23% of adults were shown to use the bus at least once per fortnight
• Research has outlined reliability, ease, safety, journey time and flexibility as universal transport needs
• Currently, buses aren’t performing against key transport needs: Namely, reliability, journey time and flexibility
• Existing bus users are most likely to use the bus in the next 6 months. The reverse is true for those who never use the bus
• Bus users have a known profile – typically: aged under 34, Londoners, ethnic minorities, and found inner city areas
• After universal needs, it is crucial to widen the audience buses currently appeal to. This can be achieved via a segmentation.

Read the full report: Increasing bus patronage through an audience strategy