BUS travel has grown in popularity faster in Poole and Bournemouth than anywhere else in England, new figures show.

Poole has seen the number of bus journeys per head increase 72 per cent in the last decade, while in Bournemouth the figure was 62 per cent.

Andrew Wickham, managing director of Poole-based Morebus - formerly Wilts and Dorset - said: “These new figures also show that our region significantly outperformed the rest of the country.

“Morebus works in close partnership with both the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Council, enabling us to provide a high quality service in the region.

“From within the private sector, we have invested heavily in new buses. Our commercial freedom has allowed us to expand the services we offer here. This has helped us meet and exceed the expectations of local people and visitors to the area, without putting extra pressure on the public purse.”

The news came as Morebus prepared to mark the 10th anniversary of its M1 and M2 services with events across the two towns. The routes link Bournemouth, Poole and Castlepoint with buses every few minutes.

Mr Wickham said: “I have no doubt that these two routes have had a major impact on the popularity of bus travel here - with a combined frequency of three minutes.

“We are fortunate enough to have a group of experienced and highly skilled professionals, providing our customers with an excellent service and transporting them across the region with the minimum of fuss. This is just reward for their efforts.”