New national research by Stagecoach has claimed that commuters can save around £1,000 per year by using the bus instead of travelling to work by car – despite falling fuel prices at the pumps.
The operator claimed that travel costs to work are around 55% cheaper than the same commute by car, saving passengers an average of more than £90 a month.
Stagecoach said the potential savings – even with fuel prices being at their lowest levels for six years – are sufficient to cover the entire annual energy costs for a medium-sized house.
The research covered around 35 key commuter routes in England, Scotland and Wales and compared the weekly price of bus travel with the cost of fuel and car parking for the same journeys.
The study found:
- The biggest savings were in the East of England, where bus passengers travelling between St Ives and Cambridge were 83% better off, saving more than £5,500 a year compared to motorists;
- In the North-east of England, taking the bus between South Shields and Newcastle was up to £1,100 per year cheaper than driving;
- In Greater Manchester, bus users travelling between Reddish and Manchester could save £460 a year;
- South West commuters travelling between Torquay and Exeter could save more than £1,000;
- In the South of England, bus travel between Worthing and Brighton was found to be more than £2,000 cheaper;
- In Scotland taking the bus between Peterhead and Aberdeen was around £1,600 a year cheaper; and
- Commuters in Wales who travel between Merthyr and Cardiff could save around £1,400.
Robert Montgomery, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “Fuel prices are at their lowest level for six years, but it is still miles cheaper to commute to work by bus for many people up and down the country.
“The average savings would pay a big chunk of people’s annual energy bills and for some it would fund the cost of a family holiday for a week in the sun in Florida.
“It’s also easier than ever before to catch the bus, with smart ticketing and bus tracking available via your smartphone and free WiFi on many of our new buses.”
