Getting passengers back on buses in Wales

01 July 2021

Our latest research looks across Great Britain at using buses during Covid-19 and expectations for the future. Results show that bus use since the first lockdown in March 2020 varies between nations with Wales recording the lowest levels of passengers. There are many potential explanations. One example could be the fact Wales has the highest number of respondents who have access to a car all the time. This could help explain why the region has a higher rate of lapsed and non-users compared to the other nations.

In Wales, the vast majority (84 per cent) of current users felt safe taking the bus during the pandemic. This was strongly linked to how busy the bus was. While most experienced quiet buses this was less likely in urban areas where 60 per cent said they were not able to catch the first bus all the time. Despite the pandemic, some users (14 per cent) have increased bus travel, mainly for commuting. However, 63 per cent have used buses less often since March 2020.

Understanding the experience of those who have reduced their use during Covid is crucial to finding solutions to attracting people back. Having clean, well-maintained buses with improved punctuality and reliability would encourage many to use the bus more often. It’s also important to provide special offers and incentives, particularly for younger passengers in urban areas.

You can find the full results for Wales here.