It comes as fewer buses were licensed across the UK at the end of last year than in any year since 2014. The RAC said the fall is "disappointing", while the Campaign for Better Transport urged the Government to work with local authorities and bus operators to expand and improve bus services. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Doncaster Free Press, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Department for Transport figures show 299 buses and coaches were licenced in Doncaster at the end of 2023. This was down from 321 the year before, and represented a significant fall of 30% since 2014, slumping to the lowest figure of any year over the last 10 years. Some 141,300 buses and coaches were registered across the UK at the end of last year, a 16% decline from nine years prior.
Rod Dennis, spokesperson for the RAC, said the fall is "disappointing at a time when so much public money is being spent on trying to make bus travel more attractive". Advertisement Advertisement He added: "It’s little wonder then that so many people are as dependent on their cars as they are." Silviya Barrett, director of policy and campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "Schemes such as the £2 bus fare cap have helped to boost bus passenger numbers, but they are no substitute for long-term funding, and these figures show we still have a way to go to halt the vicious cycle of bus cuts.
"The Government must do more to support all .
