A REPORT stating that Britain’s economic growth and prosperity risks being damaged by cuts in bus funding has been welcomed by the managing director of Swindon’s own bus company, Thamesdown Transport.

The report, Buses And Economic Growth, is a summary of findings by the University of Leeds’s Institute of Transport Studies, and has been published by bus industry campaign group Greener Journeys.

It confirms that the bus is an “important facilitator of economic activity” in urban Britain, connecting people to jobs, encouraging retail and leisure spending in town centres and helping young people to gain access to training and education.

The report recommends that the wider economic impacts of the bus system need to be taken into account when considering reductions in support for bus services and when allocating funds for bus infrastructure proposals.

Paul Jenkins, managing director of Thamesdown, the UK’s Bus Operator Of The Year, said: “This study highlights the crucial role that buses play in supporting Britain’s economy by providing links to shops, leisure facilities and employment and training.

“It estimates bus users spend an average of £29 per shopping trip and £26 per leisure trip, which all adds up to £21bn support each year for the economic vitality of Britain’s town and city centres.

“Here in Swindon we know from a recent retail study that 47 per cent of the respondents interviewed in Regent Street said they arrived in town by bus, as opposed to just 25 per cent by car.

“Yet buses have been more adversely affected by cuts to Government spending than other modes of transport.

“As well as helping to maintain the fabric of our communities, buses contribute to reduced carbon emissions and provide essential transport for the 25 per cent of households without a car.

“I hope that this message gets through to the powers that be, and that bus passengers are appreciated as valuable contributors to UK PLC.”

To read the full report, go to www.greenerjourneys.com.