It’s Catch the Bus Week!

This week, people across the country are being urged to show their support for buses. Hundreds of organisations will come together to demonstrate the vital role their bus plays in their communities at the start of Catch the Bus Week 2018 (02-08 July).

The goal of Catch the Bus Week – spearheaded by Greener Journeys – is to raise awareness of the vast economic, environmental and social benefits of taking the bus. The initiative, now in its sixth year, urges passengers, bus operators and local authorities to work together to encourage the switch from car to bus.

Beating congestion

A new study by Arup has revealed that every £1 invested in local bus infrastructure can deliver more than £8 in wider economic benefits, and 23% of car users could be encouraged to switch to buses if buses were quicker and more reliable.

The study comes at a time when local authorities across the country continue to publish their plans to tackle rising air pollution in their cities, which is causing 50,000 premature deaths a year.

Congestion continues to be a major problem. In the UK’s largest cities it’s 14% worse than it was five years ago, and DfT figures due to be published this week are likely to show traffic volumes continuing to increase.

Traffic speeds in city centres are forecast to fall by almost 5mph from 17mph to an average of 12mph by 2030, and significantly slower in peak hours, according to a recent report by Greener Journeys. Buses are the most effective solution – one double-decker bus can take 75 cars off the road.