Bus Services: Hertfordshire
Transport
Written answers and statements, 5 November 2009
Anne Main (St Albans, Conservative)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the percentage change in levels of bus usage in (a) England, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) the St Albans parliamentary constituency was in each year since 1996.
Sadiq Khan (Minister of State, Department for Transport; Tooting, Labour)
Between 1996-97 and 2008-09 the number of local bus passenger journeys in England increased by 20 per cent. Over the same time period the number of local bus passenger journeys in Hertfordshire increased by 15 per cent. (these should be treated with caution as data quality varies between local authorities). Figures for the St. Albans parliamentary constituency are not compiled. Year by year figures are available in the table.
The aggregation and estimation techniques used in compiling these statistics are currently under review. Figures until 2006-07 are based on an old calculation method, whereas those for 2007-08 and 2008-09 use a newer method. This is still being tested and therefore the data are provisional. Upon completion of this review data for earlier years may be revised.
| Total passenger journeys in England and Hertfordshire, 1996-97 to 2008-09 | ||||
| (a) England | (b) Hertfordshire | |||
| Journeys (million) | Year on year change (percentage) | Journeys (million) | Year on year change (percentage) | |
| 1996-97 | 3,844 | — | 27 | — |
| 1997-98 | 3,859 | 0.4 | 35 | 28 |
| 1998-99 | 3,808 | -1.3 | 31 | -12 |
| 1999-2000 | 3,804 | -0.1 | 35 | 15 |
| 2000-01 | 3,842 | 1.0 | 35 | -1 |
| 2001-02 | 3,881 | 1.0 | 34 | -1 |
| 2002-03 | 3,964 | 2.1 | 31 | -10 |
| 2003-04 | 4,087 | 3.1 | 31 | -1 |
| 2004-05 | 4,140 | 1.3 | 30 | -4 |
| 2005-06 | 4,196 | 1.3 | 27 | -9 |
| 2006-07 | 4,470 | 6.5 | 29 | 8 |
| 2007-08(1) | 4,530 | 1.3 | 27 | -9 |
| 2007-08(1,)( )(2) | 4,522 | — | 26 | — |
| 2008-09(2) | 4,594 | 1.6 | 31 | 18 |
| (1) 2007-08 figures for both the old and new method of calculating passenger journeys are shown, in order to show how the growth rate between 1996-97 and 2008-09 is calculated. (2) Provisional. Note: Blank row indicates break in series. | ||||