Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the causes of decline in the number of passenger journeys made by bus since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

There are a number of factors that may explain the fall in bus patronage on local bus services seen in recent years. These include:

• Transport for London attribute the fall in bus patronage in London in the last three consecutive years to increased congestion and road works which has affected bus performance by reducing average bus speeds. This may also result in people switching to other modes of transport such as light rail.

• Car ownership: Household car ownership remains high and is likely to have contributed to falling bus patronage. Data from the National Travel Survey (NTS) shows that 77% of households in England owned at least one car or van in 2016, up from 75% in 2010.

• Online shopping: The growth in online shopping in recent years may have led to a fall in people using the bus for shopping trips. Data from the National Travel Survey shows that there were 13 shopping trips per person per year on local bus in England in 2016, down from 19 per person per year in 2010.

• Reductions in local authority supported services: Vehicle mileage on local authority supported services in England outside London has decreased each year since peaking in 2009/10.

The Bus Services Act 2017 presents local authorities with new powers to bring about change, and unlock the potential for the bus industry to achieve more for passengers. In particular, new enhanced partnership and advanced quality partnership powers provide the framework for authorities to work side by side with operators to set a shared vision for bus services in their area.