New multi-operator bus ticketing system in Yorkshire 'should be a priority' to help reduce car reliance

The call was made during a First Bus sponsored debate entitled ‘I decided to leave the car at home today’ and designed to discuss travel behaviour and choices.

A poll of delegates to discover how people had made their way to the event revealed an interesting and encouraging response to the use of public transport. Four in 10 (39 per cent) travelled by train and a similar number (45 per cent) used multi-modal transport which included the bus to get there. Almost one in 5 (18 per cent) came by car.

Panelist Nicola Martin, Head of Sustainability at TPE, said: “By choosing to leave the car at home, we can apply a travel hierarchy to make the best decision for our journeys and for the planet, recognising that transport is a significant contributor to climate change.”

According to First Bus, if everyone in the UK switched just one car journey to bus each month, we could save two million tonnes CO2 every year, which is more than the total of Leeds’s annual CO2 transport emissions.

Andrew Gwilliam, product manager for EV charging at First Bus, said: “Accelerating the rollout following trials of a multi-operator ticketing system in the Midlands should be a priority, leading to the sort of cross-operator, multi-modal experience which can feel as dependable as the car.”

Councillor Sarah Courtney, transport portfolio lead for Calderdale Council on the Combined Authority, said that large investment nationally in public transport, particularly buses, would bring positive knock-on benefits with more frequency and reliability meaning “more people could rely on them and private car use could reduce”.

This in turn could lead to better air quality and improved public health, reduce economic inequality, decrease congestion and encourage more active forms of transport, she added.

How travel habits have changed since the pandemic was one topic raised by the audience and bus operators have seen a shift over the past two to three years with less commuting and more leisure trips.

Panellist Peter Cole, head of decarbonisation at Transport the North, said: “We need to think smarter and quicker to accommodate the changing way people travel since the Covid pandemic.

"Also, despite a few years where decarbonisation hasn’t been at the top of everyone’s agenda, there’s still a tremendous amount of positive will to make a difference and do the right thing.”

Kayleigh Ingham, commercial director of First Bus in North & West Yorkshire, said: “This is our third year of participating in the summit and, as the zero emission strategy of First Bus continues at pace in region, this was an excellent event to showcase our progress.

“It also provided a strong opportunity to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing bus operators and public transport in encouraging fewer car journeys to help reduce emissions and congestion to achieve climate goals.”