'Bus crisis': half a million homes have no regular service

More than a million people in Great Britain now live at least a mile from a bus stop with a regular service, BBC research suggests. Bus pass use by older and disabled people in England has fallen by almost a fifth in a decade, says the BBC.

The government has promised £5bn over five years for buses and cycling. However, Department for Transport (DfT) figures show local and central government support for buses has fallen by £800m a year over 10 years. Analysis of bus route data for the BBC's Panorama showed 550,000 properties, equivalent to about 1.3 million people, are at least 2km (1.2 miles) from a bus stop with a service calling on average four times a day.

According to annual DfT figures, the areas with the most steady declines in estimated miles travelled by bus include Blackburn with Darwen, which has seen a 42% reduction since 2014; Stoke on Trent (41% reduction); and North Yorkshire (41%).

Analysis of bus route data for the BBC's Panorama showed 550,000 properties, equivalent to about 1.3 million people, are at least 2km (1.2 miles) from a bus stop with a service calling on average four times a day.

If you are in the UK, you can watch Panorama: Britain's bus crisis on Monday 16 March at 20:30 on BBC One or catch up afterwards on iPlayer