Stagecoach is marking Clean Air Day today with a call for a mass switch from cars to public transport..

Data from the UK Department for Transport shows a rise in car use. Over the last two weekends, car traffic has been above pre-pandemic levels and 108 per cent more than before March 2020.

In contrast, use of buses outside London is currently at around 60-70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, with passenger volumes on the national rail network at just under 50 per cent.

Stagecoach has called for a major shift in transport behaviour to address health and climate challenges facing the country.

Diesel cars and vans are responsible for 70 per cent of transport NOx emissions. Studies have also found air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK annually.

Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development and may even contribute to mental health issues. Studies have shown additional links to higher infection and death rates from Covid-19.

Buses can play a huge role in reducing air pollution and congestion, with a fully loaded double decker bus able to take 75 cars off the road.

As the UK plans for a post-Covid world a, switching from the car to more sustainable public transport can also help meet the net zero targets set by the UK government.

Sharon Vye-Parminter from Stagecoach said: “We need a mass switch from cars to public transport, particularly buses, if we are to avoid a growing health and climate crisis. But there are already worrying signs in our towns and cities that car use is growing rather than falling.

“Technology alone will not solve the challenges we face. We need to make real changes to how we all live our lives and there has never been a better opportunity for government and public transport operators to work together to help people make that switch.”

Later this summer, Stagecoach is due to publish its new sustainability strategy, with a range of environmental and other targets designed to help deliver a greener, smarter, safer, healthier and fairer future for the country. It has already announced plans to target a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.

Over £1 billion has been invested by Stagecoach in 7,000 new greener vehicles and technologies in the past decade.