Passengers in Slough took more bus journeys last year than before the coronavirus pandemic, new figures show.

But across England, 3.6 billion journeys were taken last year, just a seven per cent rise on the year before but well below the 4.1 billion taken before the pandemic.

The Campaign for Better Transport said service provision and frequency must be improved to see more people using the bus.

READ MORE: Protest held in Slough town centre over Gaza conflict

New figures from the Department for Transport show passengers in Slough took 4.4 million bus journeys in the year to March.

This was up from 3.5 million the year before, and was above pre-pandemic levels of 2.6 million.

Silviya Barrett from Campaign for Better Transport said: "It’s encouraging that once again we’re seeing more people take the bus, helped by the £2 bus fare cap making bus travel more affordable in the past year. But to truly see more people using buses more frequently, we need to see a boost to service provision and frequency too.

"We urge the Government to introduce a bus service guarantee in the forthcoming Better Buses Bill, to define a minimum level of bus services in every community and ensure that local authorities have the necessary long-term funding to deliver them."

READ MORE: Full list of flood warnings for Slough as rivers continue to rise

The figures also showed the number of bus journeys in Slough has fallen by eight per cent from five years ago, while the last decade has seen the number drop by eight per cent.

Nationally, the number of journeys taken has dropped by 16 per cent since 2018-19, which saw 4.3 billion trips taken.

Meanwhile, separate figures from the Office for National Statistics show bus and coach fares in the first three months of 2024 were six times higher than the same period in 1987, compared with a five-fold increase in train fares and motoring costs rising by around three-and-a-half times.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in October that the cap on single bus fares in England will rise from £2 to £3 from January 1.

READ MORE: Students get close-up with live orchestra

The news comes as the bus fare in Slough is set to rise.

The current £2 fare cap has been further extended until December 31. However, a new £3 cap will be introduced from January by Slough Borough Council. 

Writing about the increase online, the authority said: "From January 1, 2025, the new £3 single fare cap will be introduced until at least the end of December next year.

"The cap is being funded using £151 million from the government until the end of 2025."