IT’S time to take back control of Britain’s ailing bus networks, transport workers and MPs are demanding as new research showed bus journeys at a 12-year low.

Department for Transport figures published today show 1.2 billion local bus journeys were made between April and June in Britain — a 10 per cent decrease since the peak of 1.33 billion between July and September 2008.

Demand for bus travel has not been this low since the beginning of 2006.