Call for Swindon people to ditch their cars for Catch The Bus Month

September is Catch the Bus Month and Swindon's Bus Company is getting into the spirit of the occasion.

Catch the Bus Month is a nationwide campaign running during September 2023, and the bus company is helping to raise awareness of the benefits of travelling in this way, particularly among people who do not normally use public transport.

 

Local people and visitors in-and-around Swindon are being encouraged to find out how easy and convenient it is to travel by bus.

“Catch the Bus month offers us an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the many benefits of leaving the car at home and travelling with Swindon’s Bus Company,” said Swindon’s Bus Company managing director Andrew Wickham

“Almost two thirds of the nation’s public transport journeys are by bus - and they are the primary mode of access to our city and town centres, contributing £21 billion to the economy each year.

“Not only are they an important contributor to our local economy, they’re good for the environment too. 

"Just one fully-loaded double decker bus has the potential to take up to 75 cars off the road. And that’s very important because a brand new diesel car with a single occupant can emit more nitrogen oxides than one of our new buses carrying 50 or more passengers."

He added: "Helping to improve air quality across Swindon is one of our primary aims. In recent years, we have invested in low emissions buses to operate our services across the town. 

“Aside from all these benefits, for many, buses are a vital lifeline - an affordable and accessible form of transport. That is why we signed up to the £2 fare cap - part of the Government’s Help for Households initiative. It means our customers can travel with us on any single journey for £2 or less.

“Paying for travel is easy - thanks to contactless ‘tap on, tap off’ ticketing by phone or card. Or people can use our app, which they can also use to save regular journeys, mark bus stops and track exactly where their bus is at any given time. 

"Of course, those who wish to can also pay our drivers directly with cash.

“With all this in mind, we’re keen to encourage more people to leave their cars at home this Catch the Bus Month, and find out how easy and convenient it is to travel across Swindon’s Bus Company’s extensive network.”