Travel firm Trentbarton has warned people will be put off travelling by bus into Nottingham unless more priority lanes and congestion-easing methods are put in place.
Bosses claim their services now take a third longer than a decade ago because of congestion and if this is allowed to continue, commuters will look at other travel methods.
The company wants the city to invest funds in traffic signal systems which sense a bus is late and allows it to come through, .
On average, the Keyworth bus route's round trips out of and back to Nottingham, which took 50 minutes in 2009, now take more than an hour and could take 70 minutes in another 10 years, the bus company warns.
The service's flagship red arrow non-stop Nottingham to Derby route is "routinely hampered" by congestion.
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Off-peak runs from Derby to Nottingham take just 35 minutes, but in peak they slow to 45 minutes.
said they have noticed journey times getting worse, particularly at peak times.
Andrew Watkin, 69, a retired mechanic of Keyworth said: "I have noticed it a bit actually. Getting to the city centre does take longer but I can't complain really, if I wanted to get there quicker I could just drive but then there's the issue with parking.
"Peak times are worse, of course they are, but that's what happens nowadays on the roads. They get very busy. You can't avoid it.
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"Having dedicated bus lanes to prioritise buses could be an idea, but I'm not sure there's the space for it on some of the roads. I don't think that would be for all routes no."
Andrew Fyles, 30, an engineer, of , added: "When you get on the bus you know it's not the quickest. There are so many stops and people getting on and off you often feel like you aren't getting anywhere, but it's been like that for some time, and that's everywhere not just Nottingham and Trentbarton.
"Where I used to live I took the tram into the city, but that's just as unpredictable. If there's a crash along a tram line then you've had it really."
But Ciara Williams, 26, a hairdresser, of Keyworth, said: "I've been taking this bus service for a little while now and I've not particularly noticed it taking longer no.
"I think it's a bit hit and miss really, sometimes you get lucky with traffic and end up pleasently surprised when you get to places earlier than expected so I wouldn't say it's a worry."
Jeff Counsell, trentbarton’s managing director, said: “The 22 percent increase in the Keyworth journey between 2009 and 2019 is not just an inconvenience to customers. It shows our buses are slowed by the huge volumes of sole occupancy private cars on the road which are contributing most to Nottingham’s poor air quality.
“And congestion means we have to put more buses and drivers onto the route to maintain the once every 15 minutes for the Keyworth which customers value highly. That costs us and feeds into higher fares. It’s a vicious cycle.
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“The Department for is forecasting 40 percent more road traffic by 2035. Add on the 30 percent forecast by Greener Journeys due to electric cars being so much cheaper to run and it’s a rapidly worsening future.
“If more people travel by bus there are less cars on the road, congestion will ease and we can improve punctuality, journey time and frequency - all of which makes the bus even more attractive and, most importantly for all people, improves air quality."
The call comes on Clean Air Day 2019, an air pollution campaign.
Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Local Transport at the city council, said: “Over many years and through wide-ranging investment, we have successfully held congestion levels steady, while traffic problems continue to grow elsewhere. We are always looking at ways to build on our success so far and the latest planned investment of Government funding will see new bus priority at five key junctions along the A52 between Nottingham and Derby and upgrading equipment so traffic lights turn green when buses approach.
“Public transport in Nottingham is among the best and most used outside London, with significant priority for buses and trams over other traffic which provides fast and reliable journey times. All of this helps to contribute significantly towards tackling air pollution which has been falling in Nottingham in recent years.
“There can be few places in the 海角视频 doing more to tackle congestion and air pollution, investing in electric and biogas buses, trams powered by renewable electricity, greening our own fleet of vehicles and the city’s hackney cabs and developing a network of vehicle charging points.”