New data from the Department for Transport has revealed that Nottingham’s bus network is continuing to go from strength to strength post-Covid.
Nottingham saw a 10% rise in passenger figures compared to 2023 – an incredible feat for a city that has had a strong and popular bus network for decades.
The Department for Transport’s figures showed that, nationally, bus passenger journeys rose by just over 8% to over 4 billion, or 11 million journeys a day, in the year ending March 2024.
A new electric bus on Green 11
To ensure that both bus and tram networks can thrive in the city, Nottingham City Council continues to work with NET and bus operators to plan how bus and tram routes can integrate rather than compete with each other.
The positive passenger data additionally highlights the importance of our region’s Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP), where the City Council and partners work continually to improve the bus network.
Nottingham was one of the first cities in the UK to begin delivering a BSIP.
Some notable successes coming out of the BSIP plans include:
- Supporting young people leaving care with subsidised travel.
- Giving people aged 19–21 discounted bus travel.
- Bus priority schemes ensuring the network runs smoothly and buses aren’t caught up in traffic jams – with more coming soon.
- Protecting and enhancing the frequency of bus services and delivering electric buses in partnership with local bus companies.
Other funding via the Transforming Cities Fund also enabled projects such as Nottingham Contactless, launched in 2022. This made Nottingham the first city outside London to enable contactless payment on buses and trams with a daily price cap, helping residents and visitors get around affordably.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, said:
“To see Nottingham’s buses continuing to go from strength to strength while recovering from the Covid pandemic is incredible and a testament to the tireless partnership working from the City Council, operators, and partners across the city.”
“This data reflects what we already know – that investment in our bus network has a great return and is vital to any thriving modern city.”
“We look forward to working with new East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward to ensure the momentum is maintained and our brilliant buses get even better across the region.”
Jon Parker, the Independent Chair of the Nottingham Bus Partnership, said:
“This is great news for the city and reflects the hard work of all the partners involved over many years.
It shows how impactful a proactive and collaborative bus partnership can be, and, as a result, this latest data confirms that Nottingham remains a leader in bus excellence in the UK.”
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