Warning for Local Economy as New Figures Show Significant Drop in Bus Passenger Numbers on Teesside.
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Transport Chiefs Link The Falling Bus Use to Decline of High Street....
25th Feb 2026
Bus passenger numbers across the Tees Valley have reportedly fallen once again, with Hartlepool among the areas to record a significant drop, according to the latest figures set to be presented to councillors at a Transport Committee meeting being held by the Tees Valley Combined Authority this week. .
The report, set to go before councillors on Teesside confirms that total annual bus passenger numbers declined during 2024-25 — the first fall since the network began recovering from the pandemic — with Hartlepool seeing a 3.22 per cent reduction in journeys over the period. The downturn was repeated across the region in the most recent quarterly figures, which showed a sharp fall in trips in every borough.
Transport officials said the figures reflect a wider and more worrying trend with fewer people travelling into Teesside's town centres. Data included in the report shows that footfall in Middlesbrough's Town Centre dropped by 4.8 per cent in 2025, a decline that runs counter to the national picture, where visitor numbers remained broadly stable.
The shift has direct consequences for the viability of local bus services, which rely heavily on regular commuter and shopping trips. As fare-paying passengers fall, the proportion of concessionary travellers has risen, masking the true scale of the loss of commercial income to operators.
Despite the drop in passenger numbers, transport bosses are reporting that punctuality om the areas bus networks has improved and now sits above the national average, while overall customer satisfaction with bus journeys has increased, there was a marked fall in satisfaction with value for money following the rise in the national fare cap from £2 to £3, a change which passengers have clearly felt in their pockets.
The figures underline the fragile position of the areas bus network at a time when its future funding remains uncertain. Although a new multi-year settlement worth just under £26 million pounds for the period from 2026 to 2029 has been confirmed, local leaders have warned that the allocation must cover several existing responsibilities previously funded through separate grants, placing continued pressure on supported services.
