Catch the Bus Week

Why is Catch the Bus Week important?

Almost 2.5 million people all over Britain travel to work by bus, and a million more use the bus as a vital back up. For many, the bus is a vital lifeline, an affordable and accessible form of transport and for all it is a great and easy way to travel.

• Travelling by bus can help reduce stress and can be good for your health - It is a third less stressful to commute by bus than car and taking the bus can help achieve half the government’s recommended 30 minutes of exercise per day
• The bus is good for the economy and helps support local communities - Bus users make 1.4 billion shopping trips and spend an estimated £27 billion on retail goods annually. Every year, those bus commuters create more than £64 billion worth of goods and services
• Buses bring people together and are vital for an inclusive society - 48% of the lowest income group do not have access to a car. Young people are more dependent on bus services than any other group - over half of 16-19 year olds are regular bus users. Concessionary travel schemes allow older and disabled people to get around - in 2013, they delivered more than 1.2 billion trips to 12 million pass holders.
• It’s greener to get about by bus - Congestion costs the UK economy at least £11 billion each year. If everyone switched just one car journey a month to bus that would be one billion fewer car journeys on our roads, and a saving of 2 million tonnes of CO2

For more information see the website www.catchthebusweek.co.uk