The road passenger transport movements by buses and coaches in the UK have exhibited considerable fluctuations over the years. From 2013 to 2019, there was a general decline, highlighted by a sharp drop of 12.71% in 2016 and subsequent decreases until 2019. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused an unprecedented decline of 57.97% in passenger kilometers.
Following the pandemic, recovery began with notable increases in 2021 and 2022, showing year-on-year growth rates of 30.68% and 60.69%, respectively. In 2023, the volume stood at 32.28 billion passenger kilometers with a year-on-year rise of 12.06%, recovering nearly to pre-pandemic levels, albeit still below the earlier decade's volumes.
Looking ahead, forecasted data from 2024 to 2028 suggests a modest decline, with a 5-year CAGR of -0.74% and an overall decrease of 3.65% by 2028. Future trends to watch include the adoption of sustainable transport policies, advancements in electric and autonomous buses, and shifts in public transport utilization post-pandemic as potential influences on passenger kilometers.
