One in 10 car journeys made today needs to be made by bus by 2030 if the UK is to remain on track for its net-zero goals, according to the independent Climate Change Committee.
So, introducing measures that will speed up bus journey times and encourage more people out of their cars and onto the bus is vital.
Helpfully, our recent research shows that most people support measures that give buses greater priority on roads. In fact, three times as many people support bus priority as oppose it, rising to a ratio of four to one for businesses, with all regions enjoying more support than opposition.
Of those who expressed an opinion, support is even higher – 79 per cent back the introduction of measures such as bus lanes and bus-only roads, with the same level of support among businesses.
Despite these high levels of support, however, councils can find it challenging to introduce such measures locally.
To help, the Confederation of Passenger Transport has produced a toolkit that includes recommendations, based on research with the general public and business owners, for how best to communicate the benefits of prioritising buses.
Key findings include the importance of highlighting the role that bus travel can play in delivering local environmental goals and improving the liveability of an area, and of being transparent about potential disruption during construction.
Early and meaningful engagement with local communities is also vital to ensure we avoid concerns about schemes where the benefits to local communities are not clearly set out.
Our research shows that councils enjoy public and business support when it comes to giving buses priority, helping them meet their own net-zero targets and the UK’s overall climate change goals.
I hope local authorities find the toolkit useful and are emboldened by its findings to give buses the priority on the road they need.