England local bus passenger journeys
England local bus passenger journeys stood at 3,671.99 millions in 2025, according to GOV.UK official statistics. It is one of the indicators in the Public transport journeys table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2005 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Public transport journeys table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England4 | 3,671.99 | 3,629.41 | 3,388.97 | 2,840.05 | 1,582.01 | 4,074.88 | 4,311.22 | 4,347.88 | 4,438.78 | 4,510.92 | |
| London | 1,821.49 | 1,848.5 | 1,766.13 | 1,476.11 | 856.17 | 2,090.56 | 2,197.79 | 2,225.25 | 2,240.29 | 2,292.65 | |
| England outside London | 1,850.51 | 1,780.91 | 1,622.84 | 1,363.94 | 725.83 | 1,984.32 | 2,113.44 | 2,122.63 | 2,198.48 | 2,218.27 |
Understanding england local bus passenger journeys
Boarding events recorded across all local bus networks operating within England are aggregated within this specific measure, isolating the English component from the wider Great Britain totals. Every separate passenger boarding on registered local bus routes is tallied, capturing both commercial services operated by private firms and socially necessary routes funded directly by local authorities. School-specific contract services and cross-border coach operations that do not function as ordinary local stage carriages remain excluded from the figures.
Evaluating this series necessitates accounting for structural reorganizations of local government transport bodies, which can occasionally cause discontinuities in how operators report ticketing machine data. Seasonal variations heavily influence annual cycles, meaning analysts should consistently evaluate twelve-month rolling changes to avoid misinterpreting the dip in patronage during academic breaks. Direct comparisons with sibling series representing Scotland or Wales require keeping in mind the sheer scale differential and the unique density of municipal transit networks found within England.
Frequently asked questions
- Are dedicated school bus services included in this English total?
- Dedicated school transport contracted exclusively for pupils is omitted, though school children travelling on standard registered local bus routes are included.
- How are revisions to early provisional bus operator returns handled?
- Initial estimates submitted by transport operators are periodically updated when fully audited annual returns become available from local authorities.
- Does this series cover underground rail or tram networks in England?
- No, this metric is confined entirely to local bus passenger journeys and excludes all rail, underground, and light rail systems.