Cars offer better deal than buses, study says

Road use has soared by 73 per cent in the past 20 years, official statistics showed yesterday. Petrol prices have increased by 12 per cent, but bus fares have risen by 31 per cent and rail fares by 37 per cent, the Government's Transport Trends study found.

Over the same period, average disposable income has increased by more than 80 per cent. "Transport has therefore become more affordable, car use more so than public transport," the report says.

The number of people using buses slumped by 21 per cent between 1982 and 2002, although demand has remained stable since 1994 largely because growth in London has outstripped declines elsewhere.

Despite the increase in traffic, the number of accidents fell 9 per cent and the number of people killed or seriously hurt by 52 per cent. Rail travel has risen by 36 per cent since the mid-Nineties.