The number of bus journeys undertaken in Oxfordshire has fallen by more than a third over the last decade, new figures show.

The data comes after the Government introduced a £2 cap on all bus journeys last year to encourage more people to travel by bus.

Initially, due to end in March, the scheme has been extended by three months from April to June 30.

Department for Transport figures shows passengers took 25.5 million bus journeys in Oxfordshire in the year to March.

This was up from 11.7 million the year before, which was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic but was down significantly on pre-pandemic levels.

The figures also show there were 35.2 journeys per person up from 16.8.

In 2019-20, the last full year before the pandemic, Oxfordshire passengers took 40.7 million journeys, while over the last decade, services have dropped by 35 per cent.

Elderly or disabled passengers accounted for 3.9 million (15 per cent) journeys.

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel managing director said: “After a long period of lockdown restrictions, which impacted the data for 2021-22, bus patronage is now recovering well from the devastating impact of the pandemic. 

"We’ve received some excellent support in our recovery journey, including Government funding enabling us to maintain and develop services, and to offer temporarily reduced fares.

"In recent months, these measures have seen bus patronage grow back to over 90 per cent of what it was before the pandemic.

“Patronage is lower than it was a decade ago, and this is down to multiple factors including increases in flexible working, changes in the retail environment, and worsening congestion in Oxford which has reduced bus speeds.

"However, buses are now increasingly viewed as a key part of the sustainable solution to improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions and so with the right support, the future for the network is bright."

Across England, there were 2.8 billion bus journeys in 2021-22 down from 4.1 billion in 2019-20.

A decade ago there were 4.6 billion journeys, and the number of trips has fallen every year since 2013-14 bar last year due to the pandemic.

Earlier this week, Mr Marion described the extension on the £2 cap as "excellent news", while a further £80 million in funding has been provided to protect vital bus services during the same time period.

David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said the Government must use the time the funding buys "to work with councils and operators to develop a long-term, reformed bus funding model with significant new money".

Transport secretary, Mark Harper said: "Travelling by bus remains the most popular option for commuters and families across the country, but the sector is still trying to recover after the end of the pandemic."