Buses can take you further than you think

17 Oct 2023
3 min read
People getting on a bus

UK buses are great and I use them whenever I can. Buses not only help to reduce pollution and congestion they also save us money. The fabulous ‘Get around for £2’ scheme is valid until October 31st 2023. The tickets for single journeys are available on over 5,000 routes across the UK outside London for just £2.

Whether it’s buy one get one free or off peak travel, there’s a lot of subsidies if you shop around.

But there are often seasonal reductions on bus travel and advance booking savings to be made too. Whether it’s buy one get one free or off peak travel offers – there’s a lot of subsidies if you shop around. There are plenty of ways to make buses even cheaper here too:

Travel by bus

Pensioners go free

Better still, if you’re a pensioner, you get free a free bus pass and if you’re feeling adventurous you can try and do what Penny Ibbott, from Scotland did. The amazing grandma travelled 2,200 miles on her free bus pass. While she went from Scotland down to the South of England on her pass, she was only allowed on cross border routes because she was fundraising and drivers must have turned a blind eye. Normally, a pensioner pass will give you unlimited free travel for the country it’s issued in and some cross border routes but you can’t use a Scottish pass in England or vice versa.

You can plan your journey here:

or you can google your local bus provider where you live to see localised routes.

Little boy waving from bus window

Kids travel free too

It’s not just pensioners that get in on the fun though, children under 5 travel free and there are subsidies for children up to 16. Disabled people can often travel for free on a bus pass at off peak times too.

Even if you pay you’ll save money

The benefits don’t just stop at subsidies or passes though. Jumping on a bus instead of driving also avoids paying car parking fees and congestion or clean air charges as well as fuel costs.

Enjoy free WiFi and work on the move too

Woman using wifi on a bus

There are plenty of other perks; there’s free WiFi on many services so you can work while you’re on the move for a bit of multi-tasking and secretly all of us love bus travel. Whether it’s spying from the top deck on posh houses and gardens as you go by or little ones sitting at the front on the top deck pretending to be the driver – there’s something a little bit special about buses and the communal sense of them.

Buses can be social too

There can be lots of conversations sparking between people – especially on the last buses home when the pubs close and – of course – everyone knows headphones on means no conversation if you prefer some quiet time.

Use buses or face losing them

However, too many bus services have been cut of late. Cancelling buses isn’t great for so many reasons. Public spending on roads in the UK is around £11.13 billion a year. We’re investing in roads but unfortunately when bus services close or reduce, all this does is drive people into their cars.

If you can’t get public transport you have no choice but to drive – if you have a car – and with that driving comes plenty of issues. Congestion charge and clean air zone charges, paying for parking, having to leave early to find parking and the cost of petrol. Not to mention the fact if you drive on a night out, you can’t enjoy a drink.

Buses are funded by central and local government – any cuts to services are a loss to the very communities served. Lots of us remember getting the bus to meet friends or go on first dates. Plenty of us have plonked into a bus seat after a long day and had a well meaning smile from someone nearby. Buses are a great British institution and they have to be protected and routes and services increased, not decreased.

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