To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what effect the operation of red routes has had on the use of buses in the relevant areas.

Since the start of the pilot scheme in 1991, the number of passengers using the 43 route and the new express service introduced last year has increased by about 11,000 a week. This is an increase of about 10 per cent., compared with a small overall decline in bus patronage in London over the same period.