The UK is expected to see more buses and coaches running on Christmas Day than at any time since statistics were first collected five years ago.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), an industry group, predicts that the number of people riding buses will reach 100,000 by December 25 this year.
In 2019, the figure was 60,000, but last year it steadily increased to 87,000.
CPT says bus operators are partly responding to increased demand due to lower car ownership among young people.
Alison Edwards, director of policy and external relations at CPT, said buses and coaches were the most popular forms of public transport in the country.
“Commercial operators are operating with enhanced services if they anticipate demand on Christmas Day,” she said.
“Many of us may be working hard for the day, but we still want to move around, whether it's to visit relatives, go to work, visit a friend in the hospital, or just want to get some fresh air. There are many people who think so.”
Mr Edwards added that it must also be remembered that “one in five households in the UK do not have access to a car”.
National Express, the long-distance bus operator, is expecting a very calm year this year and plans to operate 340 services to 95 destinations. FlixBus plans to run services connecting 70 destinations.
Other carriers offering service on Christmas Day are:
Brighton and Hove buses (including the coaster route along the Downs between Brighton and Eastbourne).
Edinburgh's Lothian Buses operate 11 routes, including city tours.
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Stagecoach will run the free service on 10 routes in Liverpool on behalf of Mersey Travel.
Seven routes operate in Portsmouth and five routes operate in the Isle of Wight.
The number of Christmas Day buses is increasing, but for people in the vast majority of places, including London and Newcastle, there are no local buses. The UK's passenger rail network will also be completely shut down.
According to figures from the Department for Transport, 22% of households in England did not have access to a car or van in 2023.
Another statistic shows that 29% of 17- to 20-year-olds obtained a regular driver's license last year. This is down from 37% five years ago.
A survey of people in this age group found that the most common reasons for not learning to drive were the cost of lessons (38%), insurance (29%) and buying a car (28%). was suggested.
