SOUTHAMPTON has been named among the top ten for number of bus users in the country, according to new data.

The Department for Transport research has revealed that popularity of bus travel in Southampton is continuing to rise “steadily”. Passenger journeys totalled 21.6 million in 2017-2018, compared with 18 million in 2009.

Bluestar managing director, Andrew Wickham, said: “Southampton was recently named one of the nation’s most polluted locations in the Government’s Draft Air Quality Plan - and this certainly needs to change.

“At Bluestar, we believe buses are a perfect and affordable solution to reducing congestion and emissions, and we are doing all we can to make sustainable transport a far more attractive option for those who may otherwise journey across the city by car.”

Southampton was revealed to be eighth on the top ten highest bus-use areas. The data has revealed that, on average, for every person in Southampton, 86 bus journeys were made in a year. Brighton and Hove was the the top of the list with 171 bus journeys per person followed by Nottingham with 145.

Mr Wickham added: “I’m delighted figures from the Department for Transport, which show 86 bus journeys per head of the population in the past 12 months, reflect the efforts of our team here.

“But we must continue working in partnership with local authorities to put bus at the heart of planning for schools, hospitals, housing, town centres and social services.”