RESEARCH by Liberal Democrats in Parliament has discovered that bus use in the North East dropped by 13% from 2000 to 2005, the highest fall in England.
The figures add to concerns that the number of people using buses in the region will drop further once cuts to services are made following the £5 million shortfall from the government to pay for free off peak bus travel for pensioners in Tyne and Wear.
Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat councillor Dr Jonathan Wallace from Blaydon constituency said, "The drop in bus usage comes on top of the chaos the government is causing to bus services by failing to pay the full cost of the pensioners' free bus travel.
"Far from encouraging more bus travel, we are about to see more cuts to services. The government's bungling on buses is simply leading to more car use, more congestion, more frustration and more costs to business.
"Only in London has bus usage gone up and there the rise has been a dramatic 32%. But London is the only place in England where local government has significant powers to direct bus services.
"The government have to look seriously at giving local government the ability to control bus services in places like the North East or else our roads will become more clogged with congestion."
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