[harvey9]

"whose ridership has bounced back more quickly after Covid than rail."

I suspect that's because rail users are more likely to have jobs which can be done remotely.

The writer might also consider that short distances between bus stops helps people who cannot easily walk longer distances.

London is trying out some services which have fewer stops, such as the Bakerloop route which follows a proposed route for a new Tube line. Perhaps this combination offer is a good choice at least for urban areas.