Buses and Economic Growth: Main Report

Buses & Economic Growth: New Report

Greener Journeys commissioned an independent report, Buses and Economic Growth, in December 2011 to fill in the missing piece of the jigsaw in existing research on the role of buses in contributing to economic growth, and quantifying the benefits bus services bring.

The Institute of Transport Studies, University of Leeds undertook fieldwork, research and analysis between January and May 2012, using existing data sources such as the National Travel Survey published by the Department for Transport; an internet survey of more than 2,000 bus users; and a survey of stakeholders and large employers.

The report, published in July 2012, shows:

  • Bus commuters help generate £64bn of economic output every year.
  • Of the five billion bus journeys are made in the UK each year, one billion are made to work.
  • People use the bus to make shopping and leisure trips with an annual value of £27.2bn, of which £21.5bn is spent in towns or cities centres.
  • 1 in 10 bus commuters would be forced to look for another job if they could no longer commute by bus.
  • More than 50% of students are frequent bus users and depend on the bus to get to their education or training.

Photo: Luke Andrew Scowen

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