The number of bus passenger journeys in England slumped by 85m last year, according to figures that Labour said highlighted the devastating impact of cuts to local services under the current government.

According to Department for Transport (DfT) statistics, passenger journeys fell by 3.2% outside London – continuing a downward regional trend that started in 2008-09 – while bus use in the capital declined by 0.7%.

There were 4.36bn passenger journeys in England in the year to March 2018, down 1.9% on the previous year, but 4.2% lower than in 2005. At the same time, total bus mileage fell by 3.4% last year.

Buses account for about 59% of all public transport journeys in England – more than the railways. Yet the figures also revealed that last year there were just 75 journeys per head in the whole of Great Britain – the lowest level since records began in 1991-92.

“These figures underline the devastating impact of Tory cuts on local bus services,” said Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald. “People are being denied opportunities in work and education and are cut off from friends and family, particularly those in rural areas or from low-income backgrounds.

“At the same time, cutting and withdrawing services is worsening congestion, air pollution and our impact on climate change.”

McDonald said a future Labour government would put investment back into bus services – and reverse cuts made since 2010 – while protecting pensioners’ bus passes and introducing a free pass for under-25s.

Under Labour, local authorities will be able to take back regulatory powers so they can set their own fares, routes and timetables. The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is expected to highlight the issue during a visit to Derbyshire on Thursday.

Of 88 local authorities in England outside London, 70 had a decrease in bus use in the eight years from 2009-10.

Areas outside London with the lowest number of passenger journeys per head included Rutland, Cheshire East, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Herefordshire, while Brighton, Nottingham, Reading, Tyne and Wear, Bristol and Bournemouth were among the highest.

“Faced with significant funding pressures, many [councils] across the country are being forced into taking difficult decisions to scale back services and review subsidised routes,” said Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman.

A DfT spokesman said: “It is for councils to decide which bus operations to support in their areas, but we help to subsidise costs through around £250m worth of investment every year. Forty-two million pounds of this is already devolved to local authorities and a further £1bn funds the free bus pass scheme, benefiting older and disabled people across the country.”