New Buses Minister Jesse Norman MP has launched the fifth Catch the Bus Week today (Monday).
From competitions and bus selfies to promotions and MP surgeries on the top deck, hundreds of bus operators and local authorities are holding activities across the UK to celebrate the benefits of bus use.
Jesse Norman MP has supported the campaign by joining Claire Haigh, Chief Executive of Greener Journeys, to launch the initiative in Brixton, south London.
He says: “Catch the Bus Week is an important initiative and I’m pleased to be launching it. Buses are vital for connecting people, communities, homes and businesses.
“We have given councils extra powers to work in partnership with bus companies to improve the service passengers receive, and we provide around £250 million to support bus services every year, benefiting passengers up and down the country. That’s on top of free off-peak bus travel for nearly 10 million older and disabled people in England.
“I warmly encourage commuters to try the bus this week.”
Spearheaded by Greener Journeys, Catch the Bus Week aims to raise awareness of the economic, environmental and social benefits of taking the bus.
To coincide with the Week Greener Journeys has launched its latest report, The ‘True Value’ of Local Bus Services, which finds that every pound spent on local bus infrastructure can generate more than £8 of benefits for local businesses, communities and the environment.
The study also found that each £1 spent on concessionary bus travel for older and disabled people generates £3.80 in wider benefits to society.
Buses carry more commuters than all other forms of public transport combined, helping to generate £64bn per year for local economies. They also keep families close, protect society’s most vulnerable from isolation and connect people in poverty to economic opportunities.
