Numbers of bus passengers in Bristol finally back up to pre-pandemic levels

The number of bus passengers in Bristol is finally back up to pre-pandemic levels according to new figures. From April to June this year almost 10 million journeys were taken on Bristol buses, reaching similar numbers to 2018 and 2019, after a steep drop during lockdowns.

Bus journeys are measured by Bristol City Council as part of wider efforts to get more people using public transport and fewer driving cars, to help cut congestion and pollution. Despite ongoing problems with cancellations and delays, more and more people are getting back on the bus.

Bristol is also in the top 10 local authority areas in the country for bus patronage per person. An update on journey numbers was given to councillors on the transport policy committee on October 24.

Adam Crowther, head of city transport, said: “If the growth matches year on year, then our bus numbers will be back to where they were before the pandemic. So we’ll be exceeding 2019, which is a big improvement and getting us back to where we need to be in bus patronage.

“We’re in the top 10 for bus patronage per population of authorities in the country. To be back at essentially 100 per cent on local buses is really positive.”

Over the last financial year, 37 million bus journeys were taken in Bristol, down from 41 million in 2019–20. This annual figure is creeping back up, from 30 million in 2021–22, to 33 million in 2022–23.

In the first quarter of this year, 9,625,339 journeys were taken, slightly fewer than the same quarter in 2018 and 2019, and much higher than in 2021 with fewer than 6 million journeys. A range of initiatives has been launched since the pandemic to encourage more people to get the bus.

Last year the birthday bus scheme was launched by the West of England Combined Authority, and was recently extended for another year. This gives any resident of the region a bus pass, allowing them to have free journeys for the entire month that their birthday falls in.

Single fares were also capped at £2, although this will rise to £3 next year. And in 2022, First Bus announced that passengers could use the new “tap on, tap off” system to pay for their tickets, which makes boarding a bus quicker and easier.