Staff at Stagecoach East Scotland are wearing 'Talk to Me' badges to help tackle loneliness in the community.
Launched as part of Catch the Bus Week, the badges were given to drivers and travel shop staff to show customers that the bus is a safe environment for social interaction, and to encourage conversation.
Douglas Robertson, MD, says: “Recent surveys show that a third of people in the UK deliberately catch the bus to have some human contact. Loneliness is particularly widespread among older people, who also make up a large percentage of bus users.
“We hope that by highlighting how approachable and friendly our staff are, it encouraged people to talk to our drivers and other passengers on the bus. If we improved one person’s day, it was worthwhile.”
Staff are encouraged to keep wearing the badges if they want to.
