PASSENGERS in West Yorkshire took more bus journeys last year, though the total number remains below pre-pandemic levels, according to latest statistics. 

The figures from the Department for Transport show passengers in West Yorkshire took 119 million bus journeys in the year to March.

This was up from 107 million the year before - but below pre-pandemic levels of 133 million.

Across England, 3.6 billion journeys were taken last year - just a seven per cent rise on the year before but well below the 4.1 billion taken before the pandemic.

The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) said more improvements were needed to get more people using buses.

Silviya Barrett, of the CBT, said: "It's encouraging that once again we're seeing more people take the bus.

"But to truly see more people using buses more frequently, we need to see a boost to service provision and frequency too.

"We urge the Government to introduce a bus service guarantee in the forthcoming Better Buses Bill, to define a minimum level of bus services in every community and ensure that local authorities have the necessary long-term funding to deliver them."

The figures also showed the number of bus journeys in West Yorkshire has fallen by 17 per cent from five years ago, while the last decade has seen the number drop by 26 per cent.

Nationally, the number of journeys taken has dropped by 16 per cent since 2018-19, which saw 4.3 billion trips taken.

Commenting on the data, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: "Encouraging more people to use the bus in West Yorkshire is vital for reducing congestion, improving air quality and tackling the climate emergency.
 
"By maintaining our £2 Mayor's Fares until next March, and then capping single bus fares at only £2.50 until December, we're ensuring that our region continues to have some of the lowest fares in the country.
 
"While we're working to bring buses back under public control, we'll continue to protect and enhance bus routes to build a greener, better-connected region that works for all."

Earlier this month, the Department for Transport confirmed West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) would receive £36.1 million to go towards its Bus Service Improvement Plan for the coming year.

According to WYCA, that plan sets out a vision for buses in the region, and short, medium and long-term goals that "aim to help reverse the shift away from public transport that was seen during the pandemic and encourage passengers back to bus".