The latest research from over-50s property specialists, Regency Living, reveals the three areas of England that are home to the best public bus services as rated by passengers…
Regency Living’s analysis of bus passenger statistics reveals that more than 3.6 billion passengers a year rely on England’s public bus services.
For many people, buses are a vital lifeline, enabling them to get around when perhaps no other options are available to them, such as the nation’s elderly and disabled populations. In fact, in 2024, elderly or disabled people accounted for almost 17% of all public bus passengers in England. On a local level, this proportion is significantly higher, led by Shropshire where these demographics account for 39.5% of all passengers.
This is one reason that the nation’s silver downsizers – people of retirement age who are looking to sell their large family homes and move into smaller properties – might have a particular interest in living in an area that is known to have a good, reliable public bus service.
As such, Regency Living has analysed bus journey satisfaction data (2024 – latest available) to reveal which parts of the country have the best services and, therefore, the happiest passengers. Perhaps the best way of ranking passenger satisfaction is to analyse the punctuality rating of bus services, and across the nation as a whole, 76% of passengers say they are satisfied with the punctuality of their local services.
But passengers in three particular areas of the country are more satisfied than any others.
In Bournemouth, Christchurch, & Poole; Derby City; and the areas of Scotland served by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), 88% of passengers express satisfaction with the punctuality of local buses.
This is followed by passengers in Greater Nottingham (87%), Mid-Wales (86%), the East Riding of Yorkshire (86%), and Derbyshire (86%).
Sales & Marketing Director at Regency Living, Tim Simmons commented:
“When silver downsizers are considering which area of the country they want to move to, there are usually a number of factors in play, such as being part of a community and easy access to areas of great natural beauty.
“But another important consideration is whether an area will provide them with the level of services and support they might require as they get older, including living in the catchment area of good local hospitals, and having access to a regular and reliable public bus service.
“Perhaps this contributes towards Bournemouth being one of the most popular silver downsizer locations in England, with an increasing number choosing to live in a beautiful park home community of which Regency Living has a number in the Dorset area. These include our Regency Heights community near Poole, and Christchurch’s New Forest Glades and Christchurch Marina Court, all of which are found in Dorset’s stunning country and coastal locations.”
