2.5 million extra miles of bus journeys and 5 million more passengers

The region’s largest bus operator, which covers Bristol, Bath, north Somerset and east Somerset, planned over 21 million miles of bus journeys last year (an increase of 13% on the previous year). The increase in miles is thanks to the company adding new services, providing extra buses on existing services or extending current routes.

This increase is thought to have helped boost its passenger numbers by more than five million after figures reveal it carried nearly 58 million people across the region (a 10% increase on the previous year).

Its figures also show that nearly 98 per cent of planned bus trips took place in full, with the remaining two per cent cancelled or reduced for a number of reasons, including driver sickness, vehicle issues or traffic congestion.

On punctuality*, about 82 per cent of buses ran on time, which is above the average figure for England at 80 per cent (non-frequent services), according to the government’s latest figures.

Doug Claringbold, Managing Director for First Bus in the West of England, said: “I’m proud that we have been able to continue investing in our network across the West of England by adding over two million more miles of bus journeys. This has not only helped us to transport over five million extra people, but it’s also helping us to ensure sustainable bus transport is available to more communities across our region.

“I’m also encouraged by the figures which show that, despite us adding millions more miles to our network, we’ve been able to maintain our figure of ensuring 98% of bus journeys take place in full and that our punctuality remains higher than the national average.

“However, we’re not complacent, and we know more can be done to improve these figures. We’re investing in our fleet of vehicles to ensure they are more reliable; we’re working closely with local transport authorities to discuss how we can tackle congestion and also improve bus prioritisation; we’re continuing to develop the latest technology which is allowing us to better plan our network; and we’re investing in our people, including through increased salaries, to encourage more people to join our team.

“We carry over one million passengers every week, and while we recognise we don’t get it right for every single one, I hope these latest figures show that we are moving in the right direction, and it will give existing customers the confidence to keep using our buses and encourage future ones to give the bus a try.”