Road works and online delivery vans causing buses to be slower than ever

Bus journeys are taking longer than ever

Bus journeys are taking longer than ever to reach their destination due to road works and higher congestion, it has been revealed.

A new report from transport group Greener Journeys has revealed that buses have slowed down due to increased congestion – caused largely by road works and an increase in traffic, including more online shopping delivery vans.

Transport bodies have claimed that average bus speeds have slowed down to 10mph in Greater Manchester, making it slower than ever for commuters to reach their destination.

Despite the report on slow speeds, Transport for Greater Manchester was praised in the report for investing in bus travel, including the £122m Bus Priority Package.

Professor David Begg, former chairman of the Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport, who authored the report, said: “Traffic congestion is a disease which if left unchecked will destroy the bus sector. If the trend is allowed to continue, then our urban buses will no longer represent a viable mode of transport for the majority of customers.

“We have to change travel behaviour. If we don’t try to influence people’s travel choices, it will mean that we all have no choice but to sit in ever increasing traffic jams.”

“TfGM have an impressive track record on public transport and the public need to be patient as many of the improvements they are making to public transport is adding to journey times in the short run.”

Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, said: “This report highlights the shocking growth in congestion in our major conurbations, and particularly the heavy toll it is taking on the bus sector which is vital to our economy and our society.

“A fully loaded double decker bus can take 75 cars off the road. Giving buses more priority on the roads and introducing contactless payments would make journeys faster and more reliable, encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and easing traffic to benefit all road users.”

Jon Lamonte, chief executive of TfGM, said: “While the figures from Greener Journeys show just how essential these interventions are for the long-term health of our regional economy, delivering them has nevertheless brought short-term challenges.

“That is why we’re working closely with our local authority partners and transport providers to deliver improvements as quickly and as efficiently as possible, with the vast majority set to be complete by the end of this year, so the benefits can be felt as soon as possible.”