Back in 1829, the first ever bus journey travelled from Paddington to Bank in London. Today, more than five billion bus journeys are made every year in the UK, at least 20% of which are made by commuters, who rely on the bus network to get to work.
Buses remain the nation’s most widely used form of public transport, providing crucial travel access for millions of people. Yet despite their extensive economic, societal and environmental benefits, buses are often overlooked and undervalued.
September’s Catch the Bus Month campaign is a high-profile opportunity to celebrate and demonstrate the transformative benefits of the bus, as an accessible and inexpensive solution to problems such as air pollution and urban congestion. Initiated by Bus Users UK, the campaign aims to show bus travel as the most accessible form of public transport, that’s also supportive of the environment, the economy, city centres and our overall health.
Catch the Bus Month is being supported by Imperial Engineering, the UK’s leading supplier of bus and coach parts. John Dwight, Imperial’s Sales Director, commented:
“As a major supplier of OE bus parts, Imperial Engineering is throwing its weight behind this year’s Catch the Bus Month campaign, to help spread the word about the value that buses have to the economy, society and the environment.”
Buses and their contribution to the environment – key facts
Switching just one car journey in 25, or once a month to bus or coach, can remove one billion car journeys from our roads and result in a reduction of 2m tonnes of CO2
The average number of people in a coach is 32 compared to 1.58 in a car
5% of CO2 produced by the UK road transport sector results from bus travel compared with 60% from passenger car trips
Buses are vital to improving air quality, with the latest generation zero emission vehicles helping to make urban areas more healthy environments.
Buses and commuters – key facts
More people commute by bus than all other forms of public transport combined
Bus users generate £64 billion of benefits to the UK economy
One fifth of the working population outside of London uses the bus at least once a week
Around 20% of full time employed and 30% of part time employed are frequent bus users.
