16 September 2026
Our Work on the Impact of Liverpool's Night Bus Reaches National Audiences
Written by: Katie Isaacs
The impact of Liverpool’s night bus is reaching a national audience, with BBC coverage drawing directly on RealWorth’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis to support the continuation of the service.
Having been stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic, this service returned in December 2023 and has had an overwhelmingly positive response. One key sector affected by the service's suspension was the night-time economy, particularly music venues such as Future Yards, which noted that the lack of evening transport noticeably affected staff and audience numbers. Prior to this service’s return, there was a rise in issues concerning the safety of night-time economy workers and reports of restricted routes hampering the success of the events held by music venues.
With the return of the night bus service, RealWorth supported the University of Liverpool on a pro-bono basis, in capturing the social impact it is having on its stakeholders. Our evaluation highlighted the social benefits of this transport service, with results estimating that approximately £542,000 of social value is generated by the N1 Night Bus Services, which equates to a Social Return on Investment (SROI) ratio of 4.94:1. This means that for every pound spent, approximately £4.94 in social value may be generated. One of the key outcomes of this service is the provision of a safe and affordable method of travel at night, particularly for women, students and night-time economy workers. Our findings highlight that investments in such services should be considered not just for their direct financial returns, but also for their broader positive impact on the community's wellbeing.
Our findings have been reported in national news channels, highlighting how the return of this service has had a significant impact on the safety of passengers and the general economy. There are now calls for the nightbus service to be expanded further.
To find out more about our work and its presence in recent news reports, follow the links below:
RealWorth’s Report:
https://www.realworth.org/n1-night-bus-report-for-university-of-liverpool
BBC News Article:
The Institute of Popular Music Report:
https://lcrmusicboard.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IPM_Night_Bus_Report_Final.pdf