FEWER local bus journeys are made in Hampshire than five years ago, new figures reveal.

The Department for Transport says more can be done to tackle a nationwide downward trend in bus use.

In Hampshire, 28.9 million passenger journeys were made in 2019-20 – down from 32.2 million in 2014-15, the DfT’s annual bus statistics show.

This means the average resident took 1.7 local bus journeys a month in the local authority last year, compared to 2 in 2014-15 .

Over the same period, the number of miles clocked by local buses rose, from 16.4 million in 2014-15 to 16.8 million in 2018-19.

Across England, there were 4.1 billion bus journeys taken in 2019-20, down 6 per cent from 2018-19 and 12 per cent from 2014-15.

At the same time bus fares have increased more than the rate of inflation, and were up 2.5 per cent from 2018-19 last year.

The DfT says the number of bus journeys in 2019-20 was impacted by Covid-19 with restrictions imposed on March 23 and people discouraged from taking public transport.

But a spokeswoman added the five-year downward trend did show there was “more that can be done to deliver reliable and regular bus services for both new and existing passengers”.

The Campaign for Better Transport, a pressure group, said the annual bus statistics show “how bus cuts and rising fares were hitting communities hard, long before the pandemic”.

Head of media Alice Ridley said: “Travelling by public transport must be affordable and convenient to avoid car journeys escalating and non-drivers being excluded.”

Charity Bus Users says public transport must be treated by the Government and local councils in the same way as social care and education to encourage greater passenger usage and help the environment.

Director Claire Walters said: “There needs to be far more effort put into talking to communities about their travel needs, engaging with them to understand their start points and destinations and planning transport to meet those needs.”

The Government is currently drawing up a National Bus Strategy aimed at laying a platform for working with local councils and private operators to improve local bus services.

The DfT spokeswoman said: “This will build on our significant investment, which includes more than £900 million of emergency funding to keep buses moving throughout the pandemic.”

Hampshire County Council has confirmed it will provide continuity for those who use local bus and community transport services by supporting bus operators during the pandemic.

Cllr Rob Humby, deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and environment, said: “Before Covid-19, passenger numbers in Hampshire were doing well – and investment in providing a comfortable and quality service as a viable alternative to car travel, such as on-board Wi-fi and contactless payments was paying off.

“It’s important we offer some protection to the income of local bus operators to help them at this time so that, when demand increases again, these services will be there to play a part in Hampshire’s green recovery. This is particularly vital in the case of the local bus services used by school and college students. National guidance urges local authorities to continue to support bus and coach operators for local bus contract reimbursement at the same levels as before the Coronavirus outbreak, and Hampshire County Council will certainly comply with this request.”

“In the meantime, I’d like to thank all those working as community transport drivers and those working at bus companies, particularly bus drivers, who are all continuing to provide a much needed service to help ensure vulnerable people can stay connected to their communities and key workers can get to work and people who rely on public transport can get essential supplies.”

The County Council will also provide 80 per cent of payments to taxishare operators until 31 March 2021 to provide continuity for taxishare services in Hampshire to primarily older and vulnerable people.