Public Transport Statistics Bulletin GB: 2007 edition

This bulletin includes National Statistics on public transport.

The key points are as follows:

• Passenger journeys on local buses in England rose by 4 per cent in the last year. Over the same period, passenger journeys on light rail systems in England increased by 9 per cent.
• The Department's PSA on local public transport is, by 2010, to increase the use of public transport (bus and light rail) by more than 12 per cent in England compared with 2000 levels, with growth in every region. In the six years to 2006/07, public transport usage increased by 15 per cent.
• In London, bus and light rail passenger journeys grew by 6 per cent in the last year, whilst in England outside London, it rose by 3 per cent.
• Many of the other regions of England saw increases in the number of bus passenger journeys in the last year, as a result of the introduction of free concessionary bus fares for disabled and older (aged 60+) residents. The largest rise was for the East of England region which saw an 11 per cent increase in passenger journeys.
• There was an increase in the percentage of low floor buses up from 50 per cent in 2005/06 to 58 per cent in 2006/07. The target agreed with the bus industry is that 50 per cent of buses should be low floor by 2010.
• The average age of the bus fleet at 31 March 2007 was 8.1 years. At 31 March 2006, it was 8.4 years.
• At 31 March 2007, 45 per cent of buses in Great Britain were fitted with CCTV and 35 per cent in Great Britain outside London were fitted with GPS and other electronic devices for measuring bus punctuality.
• Average local bus fares in Great Britain fell by 3 per cent in real terms in 2006/07, largely as the result of the free bus concessionary fares policy implemented in England on 1 April 2006. In London, where concessionary residents already received the benefit, there was a rise of 5 per cent. For Great Britain outside London, there was a fall of 4 per cent.
• National Rail use increased, with 1.2 billion passenger journeys made in 2006/07, a rise of 8 per cent on the previous year.
• The number of 'blue badge' disabled parking permits issued rose by 4 per cent in the year to 31 March 2007. There are now 45 permits issued per thousand people in England.
• The number of licensed taxis in England rose to around 69 thousand, up 8 per cent since the Department's previous survey for 2004/05.

Notes

1. National rail data are available from the National Rail Trends Yearbook 2006-2007, published by the Office of the Rail Regulator on 5 July.
2. The bus passenger journey estimates for London for 2004/05 to 2006/07 have been uplifted in the light of new evidence for Oystercard validations for most bus and Travelcard season tickets and Freedom Passes. 

Publication details

Published on 6 September 2007 by Transport Statistics.

Available by telephone order on +44 (0)20 7944 4139

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