First Bus has teamed up with acclaimed wordsmith George the Poet, who has released a poem and accompanying video celebrating the importance of buses to the community.
The award-winning spoken word artist encourages the public to use the bus as a means of connecting with others with a message that “You can’t spell ‘bus’ without ‘us'”.
First is using the campaign as new research it commissioned found four in five Brits think buses are an important way of connecting with their community.
However, the same research showed nine in ten Brits admit struggling to make conversation with strangers.
In addition, the commissioned public poll shows that 24% of Brits say that a chat on the bus has led to a stranger becoming a close friend or partner.
Appearing with George on the 96-second video are First Bus staff with a story to tell: Derek Milliken and Jakub Malicki, drivers who saved the lives of member of the public in separate incidents on the job; Marie Warner, who works along with daughter Gemma as a driver; Megan Copeland, who is challenging stereotypes as a young female driver; Fauja Singh Roth, a driver and local community ‘hero’; and Robert Burns, a proud LGBTQ+ community member who unveiled First Bus’s first ever pride liveried bus in Glasgow.
George says: “Buses have played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today. When I was young I had a long commute between home and school, and it introduced me to many life-long friends that I am still close with to this day, while also for helping form the foundations of my career as a poet.
“During the hours spent on the bus, I would watch the world changing around me. I’ll never forget how those observations would inspire new lyrics, and shape my understanding of different communities.
“This gave me an affinity for the bus that I still have today. Working with First Bus on this piece of work has been a great reminder of the importance of shared spaces for our local communities, and opportunities for connection that they offer.”
Simon Pearson, Chief Commercial Officer at First Bus, adds: “As a leading operator of bus routes across the UK, we are well aware of the power and significance buses hold in connecting people to their local communities, not just literally as a method of transport, but socially too.
“First Bus is a product of our amazing colleagues who work tirelessly in our depots behind the scenes and out on the road on our buses, and customers who opt to travel by bus and help create a greener future.
“It is an honour to be able to partner with such a highly-esteemed creative like George the Poet to help promote all the amazing benefits of bus travel, and it’s a delight to see some true stories of our First Bus communities come to life through his words and in the video itself.”
