Merseytravel: More young people are catching a bus

More young people are catching the bus, according to Merseytravel.

The transport body for the Liverpool City Region says the number of bus journeys young people are making has risen by 142% in the last three years.

The figure was revealed on the first anniversary of the Liverpool City Region Bus Alliance - a formal partnership between Merseytravel and the area’s two biggest operators, Arriva and Stagecoach.

Since 2014, bus journeys made by all paying passengers have gone up by 16.2% overall, bucking the trend of long term bus passenger decline nationally.

The Bus Alliance is focussed on making bus a mode of choice, increasing journeys and encouraging people who currently don’t use it to give it a try.

The partnership has invested £37.5m in new buses and achieved 90% overall satisfaction, according to a survey by independent watchdog Transport Focus.

However, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, says there is much more that can be done to further improve bus services.