A 10% improvement in bus services would lead to almost 10,000 more people in work in the poorest areas of England, report reveals.
New research by the sustainable transport group Greener Journeys showed that a 10% improvement in local bus services is linked to a 3.6% reduction in social deprivation.
Conducted by KPMG and the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, the research also showed that a 10% improvement in local bus services in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods would result in 9,909 more jobs.
Greener Journeys noted these findings build on their research which shows buses bring huge economic benefits to the UK.
The 3.5m people in the UK who travel to work by bus generate more than £64bn worth of goods and services per year, the group reports.
They also claim for every £1 spent on local bus priority measures, £7 comes back in economic benefit.
‘This vital new research demonstrates that bus travel doesn’t just benefit the economy, it can also help alleviate deprivation and improve people’s life chances,’ said Claire Haigh, chief executive of Greener Journeys.
‘This new evidence shows that bus investment is not just a transport policy – it is a health policy, an education policy, a skills policy, a wellbeing policy, and a social cohesion policy.
‘We urge Government to consider these findings when contemplating future investment in bus services. Bus investment can deliver truly inclusive and sustainable economic growth.’ ?
