A million less bus journeys in Wiltshire compared to ten years ago
Figures from the Department of Transport show how far they have dropped.
The number of bus journey's taken across Wiltshire have gone down by one million since 2010.
The statistics also reveal the number of journeys in Wiltshire were 400,000 lower this year than the year before.
They mirror the national trend with almost 238 million less journeys made in England, between 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.
There were half a billion less journey's across England over the past ten years.
Lockdown came into effect just before the end of the reporting period for this set of figures.
So it's not clear exactly what has caused the drop in journeys.
TICKETING CONSULATION
Local bus operator Salisbury Reds have launched a consultation to discover the effects of Covid-19 on passenger numbers.
They want to see how people's travel habits have changed since the pandemic hit.
The company say that big changes could lead to them tweaking their ticketing structure, as they want to always "improve their offering".
Salisbury Reds head of communications, Nikki Honer said:
"We are welcoming back a steadily growing number of customers on-board our buses, and they are travelling with us for a number of reasons - for work, shopping and for other social occasions.
"This is very encouraging, as we have now increased our services back to pre-Covid levels. But we understand people’s habits may have altered. For example, commuters may be splitting their time between working from home and the office. Some may have chosen to ‘staycation’ in the area, whilst others might be trying out pubs and eateries they have never been to before - perhaps a bit further afield.
"Sustainable transport has the potential to reduce congestion and improve air quality. If we can play our part by making the bus an even more convenient and attractive option, the hope is that more people will leave their cars at home and help create a better environment for all those living in and visiting Salisbury."
To find out all the details on how to take part, visit the Salisbury Reds website.